Faerie Monster Ball
by soulful-sin
Summary: Captured and considered an 'experiment', Timmy must come to terms with the fact he's no longer an ordinary human kid. Meanwhile, renegade exiled faeries take their revenge on Dimmsdale and the faeries within it. C28 up. INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Another one of those 'will I or won't I' continue fics. I'm not sure about this one, especially with its grittiness (it reminds me of a fic I wrote for JN, which is up on my LJ).

There will also be hints of things. (The squint and you'll see it deal).

Tell me what you guys think and we'll take it from there. Oh, and set during season five. So you know.

Faerie Monster Ball

Chapter One: Jet Black

The sun had set and the stars had yet to rise over Dimmsdale. Timmy walked home from A.J.'s house with Cosmo and Wanda disguised as Siberian huskies. There was a bitter, astringent quality to the atmosphere putting his godparents on alert, also prompting them to continue sniping at each other as they had all day. Aside from whatever was bugging his faeries, Timmy was in a good mood and didn't really mind his parents had forgotten to pick him up again. The world was secure, Cosmo and Wanda were at his side, and nothing could hurt him. He had faeries at his back and confidence in his invincibility. Nothing could possibly happen to him.

The temperature dropped and Timmy shivered. It was unseasonably cold for Dimmsdale and he half expected a winter storm. He glanced over at his godparents, flanking him on either side, to supply commentary. Instead, they were quiet, with an accompanying mild buzz like a TV on mute. Since this phenomenon wasn't uncommon with the pair, he ignored it. They hadn't explained it and he hadn't asked, because he wasn't interested.

The streetlamps died in quick succession and plunged the street into darkness. Blinking, Timmy looked up and gasped, his vision fading out completely. Cosmo and Wanda yelped.

"I wish we had light!" he called. He imagined them holding up their wands and heard the accompanying air plopping out sound matching an impossible wish. He wasn't going to panic. This wasn't a big deal. So the light had died for a few seconds. They'd be fine.

"Cosmo? Wanda? What's going on?" he said, hysteria increasing his voice's pitch.

"We don't know…" Wanda said.

Sudden light blazed and Timmy's vision shot from black to red. Groaning, he clutched his head and doubled over. Eyes watering, he waited for the sensation to pass before he dared uncover his eyes. The sun had returned overhead and blazed like noon. The temperature dropped further, closer to the thirties, and Timmy shuddered. Cosmo and Wanda drew closer to him and shivered, Cosmo sneezing.

"I smell magic," Cosmo said.

"Aren't we normally the ones who do the big, environment changing wishes?" Timmy said.

"This doesn't feel like any magic we know," Wanda said.

"Which would mean what, exactly?" Timmy said.

"Uh…we don't know?" Cosmo said. Ignoring his eyes watering, he wiped them and they started home again. Cosmo and Wanda fell silent again, the buzz returning, and he jumped at every corner. Nothing cast shadows, which he found peculiar, and he kept expecting to find Crocker lurking and waiting to snag his faeries. Trepidation made him sweat and his stomach clenched; he rubbed his palms on his pants. There were only a few more blocks until he reached his house. He could do it. Whatever weird stuff was happening wasn't his problem.

His mouth dried out and he turned to his godparents to wish for a drink. Blinking, he spun and discovered Cosmo and Wanda hadn't moved from the intersection. They focused on a point beyond a white picket fence and both faeries' fur stood on end, their hackles raised and teeth visible in a snarl. Glancing both ways, Timmy crossed the street again and stared through the fence at a blue and purple striped wolf with keen violet, almost black eyes.

"Guys?" he called. "What gives? I want to get home before midnight."

The fence swung inward and the blue and purple dog leapt over it, landing in front of Cosmo and Wanda and growling. Timmy's hair stood on end. Cosmo and Wanda matched him snarl for snarl and Timmy did a double take. He almost never saw Cosmo and Wanda aggressive; they situated themselves protectively in front of their godchild.

"You don't belong here," the being snapped. A faint broken crown glimmered above his head. "You should leave."

"_We_ don't belong here?" Cosmo huffed. "What about you? We _live_ here, pal. And we have for almost forty years, so clear out."

The being blurred and formed a ring, identical wolves growling and snapping their jaws at the trio. Timmy gulped. He rubbed his palms on his pant legs again.

"I wish I were home," he said. "Right now."

The wolves leapt at Cosmo and Wanda's throats and a random wand blast sent Timmy flying about fifty feet, away from the fight. The duplicate wolves took on new characteristics, the clones warping into new beings with the same navy blue fur, only with different streaks. Timmy's heart hammered. He'd crashed through the picket fence and into someone's yard and he dashed back to the fight. Wands flew into the air, crackled, shooting magical sparks, and he held out his hands to grab them.

"I don't think so, Turner," a serene, familiar voice called behind him. Knocking aside a dog house, Ms. Doombringer appeared out of nowhere, much like the wolves had.

"What are you doing here?" he squeaked. "You got hit by a bus."

"I wasn't killed," she scoffed. "And neither will your godparents be. They'll just be more cooperative when I'm done with them."

The wands landed in her hand and Timmy head butted her in the stomach to grab them. She pointed one wand tip down and black ropes wrapped around him. Gasping, he jumped up and down, bound, to nab them back. She knocked him over and the wands vanished with a pop. He gulped and shuddered.

"Aw, man, that is so not good," he muttered.

Ms. Doombringer grinned and yanked him up by the rope binding near his neck. Cosmo and Wanda fought viciously, this time not to defend Timmy, but to protect themselves. Without their wands, they couldn't heal and it was obvious Wanda was more adept at fighting than Cosmo. For her troubles, she'd fended off two wolves and had two more at her flanks, drawing gashes near her right hind leg and her underbelly. One wolf leapt on top of her back and dove for her throat. Yelping, she bucked him and another one snapped her already weakened right hind ankle. She nearly collapsed and sagged into Cosmo, who was having problems of his own.

Cosmo's face was bloody, puffy, and scarred. Timmy only recognized it from the color, not from the loveable faerie he'd known for two years. One wolf leapt at his tail, he spun around and snapped his jaw at it, and the second wolf, one with orange and blue fur, succeeded in snapping his left front leg and, leaping over him, his right front leg too. Cosmo collapsed, howling, and Wanda, running on three legs, charged the now six pursuers. The original wolf grinned at her and Timmy's stomach churned.

Within seconds, it was over. Three wolves pinned Wanda to the ground and came precariously close to tearing her jugular open. Timmy went cold inside.

"Leave her alive, we need them both alive," Ms. Doombringer said. They settled for tearing a sizeable amount of flesh from her torso and moved onto Cosmo, who was whimpering now and had peed himself in terror. Ms. Doombringer scoffed. The pack descended and severed Cosmo's tail from his body. Faerie blood, sparkling in the bright, unnatural sun, was more prevalent than the small urine Cosmo had expelled. Both faeries fainted, though Timmy could almost swear Wanda was still conscious. Her neck twisted and she nudged her head forward.

"You I have plans for," Ms. Doombringer said, shaking Timmy. "The others will serve as bait."

* * *

Timmy awoke cold and alone in a prison cell. Tasting blood, he spat and blinked, eyes encrusted. He wasn't sore, only stiff, and he patted the floor, which proved to be cold, hard packed dirt. Spitting again, he heard a faint protest. It was too dark to see his hand in front of his face and he groped, hairs rising on his arms. The cool air reminded him of the winter and he heard water dripping far off. The floor was smooth, but whatever his hand had come into contact with next was soft and furry, but matted. In addition to tasting blood, he smelled it too and sniffed, trying to identify the source. He hadn't been cut, he knew that much.

"I left you a companion," Ms. Doombringer's bodiless voice echoed. "For now."

She laughed and he heard no more, so he assumed she'd gone. He inched closer and ran his fingers over the fur. The figure whimpered, retracting its legs, and Timmy eased his hands down. The fur was warm and moving up and down; he assumed he'd reached the stomach. Moving his hand upward, he brought it to the shoulders and the figure hissed, inching away from him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Timmy said. "I'm just trying to figure out what you are."

"Timmy?" Cosmo's weak voice replied.

"Cosmo?" Timmy answered. He remembered vividly what had happened right before Ms. Doombringer had seized him. "Cosmo, are you okay? What happened? Where's Wanda? Where are we?"

"I don't know..." Cosmo moaned. "I can't feel my legs."

Timmy bolted upright, shock taking over. Teeth chattering, he groped for the legs he'd seen the wolves bite and eased his fingers along the marks. Cosmo whimpered again and sobbed. The bone felt severed, but he couldn't tell in the dark. He cried harder.

"Okay, don't panic," Timmy said. "We'll find Wanda and-"

"I can't feel her either!" he screamed. "And our wands are missing and those things that attacked us, they're half breeds..."

"You need to rest," he said. "You said faeries can heal at abnormally fast rates, right? So you should rest and I'll see if I can find a way out of this place."

"I don't wanna rest..." Cosmo protested. "I...I'm afraid. Hold me."

"Not now," he reprimanded. He stood and paced the cell. Within a minute, he had the dimensions mapped out. There weren't bars barricading him in. It was a solid brick wall. Moaning, he rubbed his hands along it and found no entryway, no exit route, nothing. They were surrounded by four walls and a standing bowl of water, which he knocked into. He also tripped over Cosmo, who sobbed harder and curled into a ball.

They'd been in worse situations, but they'd also had magic. Whatever was going on, they were at the mercy of their captors. Shuddering, Timmy drew Cosmo's head into his lap to calm his godfather down. He stroked the fur on top of his head and Cosmo turned, burying his face against Timmy's left leg. There was sticky blood in between his ears and Timmy winced.

For a while, Cosmo's wails were the only noise, aside from the faintest dripping. He rested his arm on his shoulders and the other he draped on his neck. His tears were soaking into his pants and he was distantly grateful Cosmo wasn't still bleeding. Even without his wand, he was slowly healing.

The weight on his lap shifted slightly and Cosmo cried himself to sleep. Timmy looked at where he knew the wall was and wanted to run his fingers over it again, but he also didn't want to move him. In his sleep, the faerie was whining and crying, rubbing his head on Timmy's leg. Okay, so then he'd just sit here in the darkness and wait. And hope help would come.


	2. Red Rum

Author's Note: References to darkness are to the dark/light struggle, not to Wishology. The author doesn't really remember Wishology and it hasn't happened yet in this timeline.

I hope this chapter suffices and you guys like it. :D

Chapter Two: Red Rum

The constant drip threatened to drive Timmy mad. To placate himself, he ran through the gamut of Crash Nebula games and where the next game ought to take place in the established time line. Cosmo whined and coughed, his broken legs twitching. A more medical minded person might have wondered whether the legs would heal properly, with Cosmo's accelerated healing capacities and their prior set. A more medical minded person also probably wouldn't have secured himself faerie godparents and therefore, would never have ended up in the situation. Timmy wasn't the type to pontificate on the what-if scenarios, regardless. All he knew was he was ensnared in a small, cemented cell with his only escape chance wounded and whining in pain.

A length of time passed, but its exact span was unknown. Time had no meaning here; it meandered at its own rate and Timmy floundered, unable to keep a level head. His ears were attuned to any unusual sounds and his body was keyed to another presence. Cosmo shuffled on his lap and rose partially, moaning and nudging Timmy's chest.

"I thought you were going to rest," Timmy reprimanded.

"I don't wanna rest," Cosmo said. "There were wolves."

"They're not here now," he said derisively. "And your leg isn't going to heal if you don't sleep."

"I don't wanna sleep," he repeated. "There were wolves and they were half breeds."

Timmy scoffed. "I thought there were only faeries, anti faeries, pixies, elves, gnomes, and dragons."

"No…" Cosmo said and maneuvered his body to a more comfortable position, which entailed squashing Timmy to the floor. He rested his head alongside him and Timmy sincerely hoped the hard packed dirt contained no insect life or vermin. Then again, he had no idea where exactly they were, so it could really have anything in it, including giant worms. He shuddered.

"There are half breeds," Cosmo said. "We never mentioned them before 'cuz the last time anyone saw them…" He gulped.

"Yes?" Timmy said, a trifle irritated.

Cosmo fidgeted and accidentally whacked one of his broken legs against the other. He screamed and clawed Timmy's chest; Timmy yelped and shoved him away, an unconscious reflex prompting the faerie to howl. He'd accidentally pushed Cosmo against the wall and…Timmy's stomach churned. On his knees, he inched toward his faerie and ran his fingers along Cosmo the wolf's spine. The tail was still missing. Surely, this portended nothing. After all, faeries didn't normally have tails, so if Cosmo didn't have one now, it wasn't going to affect anything. Right?

"Dude, don't claw me and I promise I won't smack you into the wall," Timmy said. "Deal?"

Cosmo whimpered and tucked his head into his chest. Sighing, his conscience bothering him, he rubbed Cosmo's head in between the ears. Cosmo had clamped his mouth shut and a low, guttural noise issued, but Timmy didn't know if it meant he'd further harmed his godfather, or if Cosmo derived comfort from the affection. He gulped.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"The last time this happened," Cosmo said, his voice breathy thanks to the renewed suffering. "The last time, Wanda was here too."

"Wait," Timmy said, frowning, "this happened before?"

"Not everything," Cosmo swallowed hard and whined again, "not everything that happens…"

Catching his breath was cumbersome and Timmy waited until his godfather could speak again. The drip was driving him insane and he gritted his teeth, throttling his temper. Snapping at Cosmo wouldn't help. He'd already done enough damage aggravating his injuries, and he'd seen the wolves break the bones. Cosmo shuddered, perhaps ruminating on it too, and licked his lips.

"Jorgen doesn't always know," he finished.

"Great," Timmy said. "There go my other plans for getting rescued."

Cosmo flinched, kicked the wall, and howled again. The sad fact of the matter was there was almost nowhere in the cell he could stretch out and _not _smack one of the walls. In wolf form, Cosmo's body was extended, anyway, and his hind legs stuck out. Timmy tugged Cosmo's head into his lap again and sighed.

"Could you not hurt yourself for five minutes?" Timmy hissed. "Seriously."

Silence resumed, as silent as it could be with the infuriating drip. Cosmo attempted to control his spasms, angling his body to prevent inflaming the injury. Timmy resumed stroking Cosmo's fur, since it seemed to pacify him. Despite his apology, guilt squirmed within him. Two broken legs had to be excruciating, regardless of how quickly one healed. Cosmo seemed to bear the pain well, too, although it might've been because Wanda wasn't here to mollycoddle him.

Another stretch of time passed. Timmy shut his eyes. There was no point in keeping them open when the only thing he saw was black, with faint green shimmers from his godfather. Cosmo's breathing was heavy and stressed. He rubbed his head against Timmy's thigh again and stopped, bursting into tears again.

"Timmy, it hurts…" he sobbed.

"How did you guys deal with pain without your wands before?" he said.

"We…didn't."

"You guys regularly get smacked around and hit," he argued. "And you don't cry about it then."

"Magical injuries…" Cosmo paused, pacing himself because speaking whole sentences taxed him, "are different."

Timmy groaned. "You can't do magic at all without your wands, right?"

Cosmo panted and spoke so low Timmy had to strain to hear it. "…there's…a way."

"Then why didn't you do it before?" Timmy snapped, losing his temper and regretting it instantly, because Cosmo cowered and curled in on himself. He forced himself back to calmness. Yelling at Cosmo wasn't going to help. He'd do more harm than good upsetting him.

"The only time…I've seen it…" Cosmo shuddered and then went limp. Timmy hissed and rubbed Cosmo's eyelids, which were closed. The time for his godfather to actually be a fountain of information was nigh and Cosmo had chosen to pass out rather than help him.

He'd never tried calling on Jorgen before, since Jorgen's arrival usually foretold the end of whatever wish Timmy had enjoyed, despite Da Rules. He wasn't even sure the Fairy World leader would hear or answer.

Wherever Wanda was, however, he sincerely doubted she was capable of coming to their aid. She would have done it already if she could have, if not for Timmy's sake, then for Cosmo's. Cosmo shuddered and chomped his teeth down so hard, he was fairly positive it had sent a corresponding ache down his body.

"I don't know if you can hear this, but, uh…" Timmy swallowed hard. "Cosmo's really injured and we don't know where Wanda is. Jorgen? Now would be a really good time to come and bother me."

"Jorgen?" his voice echoed in the cells and a steady drip from heaven only knew where was his only reply.

* * *

Someone, probably Ms. Doombringer, had bound Wanda to a sterile iron table. Iron. Wanda's teeth chattered and she shuddered, loathing the feel against her fur. The wounds on her stomach and torso had stopped bleeding, thankfully, though her right hind ankle throbbed. A bright light obscured her vision and she was stuck on her back in wolf form; she thrashed, knowing it was futile but attempting it anyway. All it did was tighten the strap around her throat.

"You may have been wondering how we found you," Ms. Doombringer said, her voice echoing strangely.

Wanda didn't answer. She concentrated on healing her injuries. Before she could contrive a way out of here, she had to be capable of walking. Also, the throbbing and unpleasant pressure on the wounds was having a marked impact on her thinking capacities. The pain had forged a mental block and rendered any higher thinking impossible.

She sensed the human moving forward and growled, snapping her jaw. A sharp, vicious pain ensued from the wound in her stomach and she saw a glint of steel. It had to be a knife. Ms. Doombringer plunged it deeper and Wanda stopped fighting, stopped moving entirely. She breathed shallowly, aware the knife wound would have healed faster without the magical wounds exacerbating it. Fear coiled itself tightly around her and she knew the only way to escape was to keep her mouth shut. Help would come, eventually, because it had to.

"I know you talk, little faerie," she scoffed. "You were talking to Cosmo."

Wanda gasped. She couldn't help it. Her whole body tensed and Ms. Doombringer chuckled.

"You, Timmy, and Cosmo really shouldn't talk to each other, or at least use your real names, when there are people within earshot," she admonished.

"People…who are…eavesdropping…you mean…" Wanda said. Speaking strained her further, but it wasn't like this would end up harming her further. She knew as soon as she said it it'd amuse her captor and she was right. Ms. Doombringer laughed.

"I could tell you how I went through the Dimmsdale faerie network to locate you, and how someone else who's in love with you betrayed you, but that'd be no fun at all," Ms. Doombringer said. "I must tell you, it is quite amusing how easily you faeries are corrupted."

She twisted her arm and white flesh mixed with sparkling red blood. "I love how it sparkles when it captures the light."

She rubbed Wanda's torso and dug her knuckles into the scab forming. Wanda hissed and she stopped, punching her in the face. Again, she snapped her jaws at her and Ms. Doombringer huffed.

"That's really not going to work, Wanda."

A chill went down her spine and cold spread throughout her body. No one should know her name aside from other faeries and her godson. No human should speak it, certainly, other than Timmy. In the olden times, names were things of power and could command someone to do their bidding. They'd done away with that a long time ago, because it'd been abused. But ordinarily, a human knowing a faerie's name meant they could summon them at will, hence why only the godchild knew.

"Cosmo's with Timmy, but I suspect you already knew that. He won't be for long."

Wanda didn't acknowledge the statement. Part of her was still reeling in shock from their names repeated and the other part knew she shouldn't goad her on.

"You really aren't going to talk to me? Should I have left you with Timmy and taken Cosmo?"

Ms. Doombringer rubbed Wanda's hind legs against the iron and she hissed, coiling her legs closer to her body.

"I know all the old tricks. I know in the past, faeries were allergic to iron. I know they still don't like it. I know about butterfly nets, as you recall. I know about ley lines, but I suspect you don't."

She concentrated on sending magical sparks to the affected areas and ignoring the mental block. Ms. Doombringer yanked on fur near her torso and she shuddered, gritting her teeth and swallowing back the cry.

"Wanda, Wanda, Wanda. How many times do I have to say your name before you answer me?"

Swallowing again, she thought of her father. Big Daddy hadn't been big on torture, at least, when Wanda was around, but she'd seen enough sessions. The memories resurfaced and she retreated into her mind, unable to quell a thought that if Big Daddy were here, he'd probably have Ms. Doombringer murdered immediately.

"I'll bring Juandissimo in, then," Ms. Doombringer said. "I'm sure he'll love to have you all to himself."

She wanted to ask how she knew their names, but it wasn't worth the trouble. Instead, suppressing a groan, she sank into herself again. Considering Ms. Doombringer's prior gloating, she had no hope Juandissimo would help. In fact, she expected the exact opposite. The garish light faded and she sighed, funneling her energy into healing herself.

She wasn't alone for long.

"Mi amor," Juandissimo purred and she blinked, red spots appearing before her eyes. She thought his eyes had turned red, which had to be a side effect from the light blinding her for so long.

Juandissimo kissed her hand and her vision settled again. It hadn't been an apparition. His eyes glowed red and darkness eclipsed him, not like the anti faeries, whose powers generally leaned toward mischief and occasional cruelty. This power bespoke true dark power, like that of necromancy and thoughtless slaughter, magic derived from blood. She squirmed.

"Join us," he said. He stroked her head fur and she growled, baring her teeth.

"Or else."


	3. Mad World

Author's Note: I enjoyed writing this. There is obviously something wrong here.

Tomorrow (August 2nd) is my birthday! Grant my birthday wishes and give me lots of reviews!

Chapter Three: Mad World

Juandissimo's red gaze seared and she flinched, rubbing raw flesh and serrated bones against the restraints. Gritting her teeth, she swallowed bile and willed calm. Panicking wasn't going to help, and she wouldn't be able to fight back. So far, despite his alarming appearance and aura, he hadn't harmed her. There was no reason to assume he would continue behaving himself, particularly with the malevolent glow. Should she absolutely need to fight, it'd be better to conserve energy now and loosen her stiff muscles.

Still, injecting tranquility into this scene was almost impossible right now, what with Timmy and Cosmo in captivity elsewhere and gloom nearby. Her muscles remained tensed, and she bit the inside of her lip to keep from growling.

"Why is she injured?" he snapped. "You told me she would not be harmed."

His eyes roved her frame and he rubbed her left ear. Gritting her teeth kept her from snapping at his hand.

"She fought," Ms. Doombringer said and shrugged carelessly. "If she had simply submitted-"

"Wandita does not 'submit'," Juandissimo snapped. He raised his wand and the human pushed it back down. Wanda eyed the wand hungrily- her salvation lay so close, yet forbidden thanks to the leather binding. Her legs were too tight against the iron table to permit her to scratch and tear the restraints. Unable to quell it, she whimpered and Ms. Doombringer scoffed.

"That's not my concern," Ms. Doombringer said.

"I will heal her and change her back," he said.

"You will do no such thing!" she growled. "She is stuck in that form as punishment for defying me, and her injuries are a reminder she's my prisoner."

Juandissimo glared and Ms. Doombringer pivoted to pace the room. Juandissimo's wand glowed for a second and warmth spread along her body. The already accelerated faerie healing processes kicked up a notch and she could feel the gashes narrowing and the bones mending. Juandissimo might have betrayed the other faeries, but he hadn't betrayed her personally. In fact, he might yet be an ally, assuming he'd be willing to backstab Doombringer to help her.

"I cannot turn you back," Juandissimo murmured in her ear, "but I can make things less painful for you."

"You know, if you just blasted _her _with your wand, you could free me and we could get out of here," she whispered.

Juandissimo tensed and his eyes flashed. Her breath caught in her throat and she imagined his brutal vengeance; he shifted into a wolf and slammed into the table. Drawing back his lips in a snarl, he snapped his jaws at her throat and she whimpered.

"Do not speak such things," he cautioned.

Her heart stuck in her throat and she wasn't sure if he was warning her to prevent her from getting Doombringer's attention, or because he'd hurt her if she spoke up again. Another whimper escaped and he nuzzled her.

"Never, no matter who is my master."

Ms. Doombringer snapped her fingers and a golden rope descended from the ceiling. The instant it snapped around Wanda's neck, the restraints flew off. The glow left afterimages on her retinas and Ms. Doombringer yanked her off the table and onto the floor. Juandissimo growled and Ms. Doombringer glared, power flaring around her for a moment. He lowered his head, submissive, and all notions of Juandissimo protecting her fled. Juandissimo looked like a cowed dog.

"I'm taking her for a walk," she said.

Juandissimo stepped beside her and his eyes narrowed at the leash. The warmth was cloying, unpleasant, and she snapped her jaw at it experimentally. Tough, tenacious fibers refused to budge beneath her teeth and she sniffed, detecting another magical source. In a few seconds, its origin returned to her and her stomach threatened to rebel.

"You'd like to see where Cosmo and Timmy are, wouldn't you?" Ms. Doombringer taunted. "Wouldn't you? Beg for it, little faerie. Beg for it."

"What will," she gulped, "what will you do to them if I don't?"

"This plan will work with only two faeries, not three," Ms. Doombringer said and grinned from ear to ear. "Care to guess which link can be severed?"

She gulped and stood her ground, knees quaking. "Cosmo and I are a team. You can't take down one of us."

"I value intelligence in my subservient workers," she replied. "Cosmo has none. His only possible use is target practice. You, on the other hand…"

Ms. Doombringer smiled and Wanda moaned, backing up. The unicorn hair leash tightened around her neck and she yipped, snapping her jaw at it to no avail. Chills coursed up and down her body and she imagined Cosmo lying in a pool of blood, like he had right before they'd been captured. Her father had taught her never to beg, but Cosmo couldn't defend himself, and Timmy, Timmy was only a child…

"You'd hurt a child?" Wanda snapped, wishing she had real anger to fortify it instead of mind numbing terror facing losing her husband.

"If it were a faerie child…" Ms. Doombringer smiled and the smile startled both faeries, although Juandissimo's gaze never faltered. "If it were a faerie child, I'd slaughter it right in front of its parents."

For a few seconds, Wanda's heart stopped. Her eyes widened and she collapsed onto the floor. Since the leash wouldn't allow her to back away or flee entirely, she settled for staring at the black tiles beneath her feet. Every cell in her body was screaming for her to grab Cosmo and Timmy and get the hell out of here. If she'd destroy a faerie child so readily, what would she do to Timmy, already in captivity? Moreover, what did it entail for Cosmo when Cosmo was so obviously expendable?

Ms. Doombringer knelt to touch her forehead and Wanda backed up as far as the leash would allow, which was a foot. Her hiss turned into a whimper and she trembled uncontrollably.

"Don't worry," Ms. Doombringer said and smiled. "There are no faerie children. I've checked."

Gulping, she shut her eyes and slid closer to Juandissimo. In terms of safety, she felt marginally better next to him.

* * *

Timmy's head jerked and he stared into the darkness. Nothing had changed, as far as he could tell. Cosmo was draped over his legs and panting, twitching in discomfort every once in a while. To placate him, he rubbed his head and underneath his chin, and alongside his neck. Cosmo was also unnaturally warm, but that might have been the healing process. Timmy had never witnessed it up close and personal before, and never without a wand present.

"No, no, stop it, Daniel!" Cosmo screamed and bolted upright.

"Who the heck is Daniel?" Timmy said. Cosmo's fur had acquired a cold sweat and he shook himself to remove it. Timmy received a mouthful and spat it out, wiping his face to rid himself of the rest.

"Who?" Cosmo said.

"Daniel," Timmy said and rolled his eyes. "You said, 'no no, stop it, Daniel'."

"Um…we're not allowed to talk about other godkids," Cosmo said.

Timmy's brain jumped ahead of Cosmo's, which wasn't a stretch. It wouldn't take much to trick him, and Wanda wasn't here to counterbalance it.

"We weren't. We were talking about Daniel, which is completely different. So, who is he? And what did you mean before about using magic without your wands?"

"Oh, Daniel," Cosmo said in a light tone, and despite it, he trembled again. "He wished us into deer, wished up a pack of wild wolves, and almost killed me. Hah, you should have seen Jorgen's reaction."

"Was he glad?" Timmy muttered.

"No…" Cosmo said. "We are his friends, you know."

"Okay, so, Daniel, sadistic homicidal godkid. Got it. What about the magic without wands part? You guys always need your wands. You're powerless without them."

"Yeah, but…"

"You'd better not pass out on me again," he warned.

"Wanda wouldn't like me telling you."

"Wanda's not here," he pointed out. "And, in case you haven't noticed, we're trapped underground somewhere, with a sadistic teacher bent on killing us. Or worse. Whatever's worse."

Cosmo was silent and Timmy expected him to start babbling. He didn't.

"Well?" he pressed. "You didn't pass out again, did you?"

"I can't tell you," he said. "I shouldn't have told you anything before."

He sneered. "Because Wanda said so? What the heck does she know?"

"It leads to darkness," he said. "Not anti faerie darkness, either."

"Okay…so, what are we talking about, here?"

"I told you…" Cosmo whimpered and fidgeted. "I wish Wanda were here. I wonder…"

He swallowed hard and trembled uncontrollably. Timmy grimaced. While he was worried about his godmother too, he was impatient. He didn't know what had spooked his godfather, and it could have been anything. Cosmo lifted his head and his eyes were luminous in the dark.

"Whatever it is, I promise I won't tell another living soul," Timmy said, bored.

"I hear something," Cosmo said and his ears cocked. Timmy scoffed.

"I don't hear anything except that stupid drip," he retorted.

"Listen."

Timmy shut his eyes and concentrated, despite thinking his godfather had fallen off the deep end. Then he heard it- faint scuffing sounds, like high heels on dirt. This was accompanied by two more distant glimmers and air rushed into their cell. Timmy thrust out his arm on a whim and didn't encounter the brick wall. Hope brimming within him, he jumped to his feet (knocking Cosmo over again) and dashed to the open space. He made it a foot further before slamming into steel bars, falling over, and landing atop his faerie. Cosmo screamed, kicking him and huddled in a corner.

"So faeries do have superior hearing," a chilling voice called and Timmy growled.

"You!" he said. "What the heck do you want now?"

"Say hello, Wanda."

There was no response and Timmy distinguished a golden chain around a pink wolf's neck. Cosmo leapt to his feet and temporarily forgot his ailments.

"Wanda!" he cried.

"Cosmo!" Wanda replied and Ms. Doombringer chuckled. She yanked on the leash around Wanda's neck and brought her to her knees with a pained yelp. Cosmo snarled, snapping his jaw through the bars and straining to get to her. Timmy glared at Ms. Doombringer.

"Let her go!" he snapped.

In response, Ms. Doombringer tightened the leash and Wanda whimpered, eyes glazing over. Cosmo slammed into the bars repeatedly to get at her, as if he could knock them down by sheer force, and despite the enormous pain, continued to do so. His legs weren't up to the strain and he buckled, falling to the floor but still twisting his head, thrusting his body forward to get to her.

Another wolf snarled and snapped his jaw at Ms. Doombringer's ankles. The red eyes made Timmy shudder, but there was something familiar about him.

"You swore you would not hurt her!" he growled and pawed the ground. Doombringer brought out a black quartz necklace from beneath her black leather tank top and held it in front of him. Juandissimo hissed and lowered his head, but his eyes continued to glow, baleful.

"Much better," she said. "This is a nice family reunion, isn't it?"

"Wanda!" Cosmo screamed. Wanda lifted her head, but there wasn't much she could do. Her flanks heaved and it looked like she was trying to get enough air into her lungs.

"What are you going to do to her?" Timmy said, shaking and clinging to the bars to stand upright. "What are you going to do to us?"

Doombringer stepped forward and dragged Wanda along the ground like an unwanted toy. She'd been healed, at least, but her eyes were bright with pain and she made strangled noises, prompting Cosmo to bark and howl again. Doombringer stopped in front of the cell and Cosmo locked onto her skirt.

"Let go, you mangy fey," she snapped. Cosmo dug his jaw into it and worked on tearing the fabric. It wasn't leather, like her top- it looked like some stringy material, and after a little work, it started to tear. Ms. Doombringer kicked Cosmo in the head and he flew backward, landing on his back in front of the rear wall.

"You I have special plans for," Doombringer said. "I thought perhaps I'd let you spend some quality time together while I put the next phase in motion, but I rather enjoy this. They are like dogs, aren't they? And humans are their masters. Heel, bitch."

Timmy's fear slipped into rage and, without thinking (which was what Cosmo excelled at) he punched her in the stomach. His teeth were chattering with inchoate fury and it was a while, swallowing several times, before he could speak.

"You won't understand," he snapped. "You'll never understand. When we get out of here, you'll be sorry."

"Are you threatening me, child?" To his dark amusement, Doombringer's voice was breathy, thanks to the punch. She held her stomach and massaged it. He had no idea how hard he'd hit her, but he hoped it'd hurt just as much, if not more, than his faeries hurt.

"_Leave Cosmo and Wanda alone!"_

Ms. Doombringer didn't respond and he continued, his throat constricting. "Whatever you have planned, I won't help you, even if you torture me. I would never help you harm them."

For a second, all he heard were Wanda's gasps, Cosmo's labored breathing, and the constant drip behind them. He breathed through his nostrils and wished Doombringer hadn't moved back, because he wanted to punch her repeatedly. Fury raised his temperature, brought blood rushing to the surface, and he thought he could have happily dismembered her. The last time he'd felt this kind of rage, it'd been directed at Vicky. Now he thought he might hate Doombringer more.

"You will help me, whether you want to or not."

"Over my dead body."


	4. The Number of the Beast

Author's Note: Sorry to trickle out the updates. Work left me unwilling to write and I was avoiding this for a while.

Please read and review! And yes, this gets darker.

Chapter Four : The Number of the Beast

"Heel, Wanda," Doombringer said. "We have work to do."

She yanked on the leash and Wanda couldn't stand. Again, she yanked and cut off her air supply. Juandissimo growled and lunged forward, in time for Doombringer to bring out the quartz crystal. Power emanated from it and suddenly, the air was filled with cloying, choking darkness like a bitter aftertaste in the back of the threat except with an additional hundred pound weight on the chest too. Timmy's head spun and he collapsed against Cosmo, panting and whining Wanda's name in between gasps.

"Heel, Juandissimo," Doombringer growled. "_Down_, boy."

Faced with overwhelming magic, Timmy didn't know how anyone could move, let alone struggle. Nonetheless, Juandissimo swayed back and forth, draped protectively over Wanda.

"There are other faeries in Dimmsdale," Doombringer snapped. "I could kill her. Is that what you want? Keep misbehaving, Juandissimo, and I will."

"You swore to me-"

"There are other faeries," Doombringer repeated. "She's merely a vessel. The best possible vessel I could find, but there are others."

The pressure lessened and Timmy tucked his head in between his knees to stop the room from spinning. Cosmo continued to whine, pressing his head against the bars. Aside from breathing and Cosmo's whining, along with the constant drip, he heard nothing.

"I do not care for the other 'vessels'," Juandissimo said. His voice shook. "You cannot control me forever and if you…if you continue…"

Ms. Doombringer released the leash and Wanda gasped, her first few breaths turning into a violent spasm. Juandissimo growled and Cosmo battered the bars with his head. Doombringer rounded on him and he whined, backing up into Timmy. His hackles were up, but he was shaking from head to toe. If Doombringer could do that to Wanda, she could do the same to Cosmo. Cosmo was, at heart, a coward, after all.

"As entertaining as this is, it's wasting time," Doombringer said. She stroked her chin. "I wonder how desperate the situation would have to be before you revealed your true powers.'

"They'll never help you," Timmy snapped. "Let us go or else."

"Or else what?" Doombringer countered. "You're a ten year old child. I could break you like _that_."

She snapped her fingers and Cosmo and Wanda growled, the latter in between gasps. Juandissimo nudged her and helped her to her feet. Timmy stared at Juandissimo and tried not to think about what automatically came to mind. There was a time to think and a time to avoid thinking. He preferred avoiding thinking, and besides, if he stopped to think about what was going on, he might miss something.

"I believe, before I arrived, you were about to tell Timmy a story, Cosmo," Doombringer said and Cosmo stared at her.

"I was?" he said.

"You faeries have such long and interesting histories," she said. "It was something to do with not using your wands to do magic."

"It was?" Cosmo said. Wanda hissed and Doombringer tightened her leash. The hiss turned into a painful yelp.

"Oh, don't worry," she said and her eyes glittered. "I already know more than you think about faeries, probably more than you even realize."

Cosmo's eyes locked onto Wanda's and a silent communication passed between them. Timmy folded his arms across his chest and glared at Doombringer.

"And I suppose in typical villain fashion, you'll bore us with it," he said.

"No, in typical villain fashion, I'll tell you to stay out of my way or you'll get hurt," she said and drove her heel into Wanda's back. Wanda screamed and collapsed. Cosmo and Juandissimo were up in arms, Juandissimo springing to attack. Doombringer removed the crystal and Cosmo averted his gaze; it sent out black waves and his and Wanda's normally bright auras flickered. Pressure returned, mounting and making him feel like it was almost impossible to breathe.

"Just like that," she said. She glared at Cosmo. "While I can't compel you to continue the story and possibly edify me, I can do the next best thing. I can see how much pressure _she _can endure before she either breaks or fights back."

She dragged Wanda along the floor and, to Timmy's immense relief, nothing looked broken. Still, his heart clenched painfully.

"You're not going to get away with this," he said.

"Spare me," she said. Juandissimo propped Wanda up and she leaned heavily on him to walk out. In passing, she glanced once more at Cosmo and Timmy.

"Don't say anything stupid," she said, breathing heavily. "She's watching us, you know."

They walked away and Timmy wanted to rage and to strike out against the elements. He glanced at Cosmo, who had his head on his paws and was whining softly. He had to think of a way out of there. Cosmo and Doombringer had both mentioned using magic without wands, which, until now, he'd thought impossible. Every time his faeries lost their wands, they'd been completely at the mercy of the situation.

"If you can do magic without your wands, how come you can't just break out of here?" he said.

Cosmo merely stared dully at him. His eyes were glassy with pain and he, with great effort, plopped down at Timmy's feet. Timmy sat back down again and Cosmo's head plopped into his lap. His tongue lolled out and Timmy stroked his head. There was nothing to do but sit and wait until Cosmo healed enough to be useful. The bars had disappeared, leaving them in pitch blackness aside from his godfather's green glow, and he knew, without proper tools or any sort of magic, they were powerless.

He had no idea where they were, aside from underground. They might not even be in Dimmsdale. Clearly, they weren't under a giant butterfly net, so faerie magic _could _work, if only they had their wands. Or another way to do it. But here, Timmy ran out of ideas. He could imagine escaping and attacking Doombringer, but how? With what? And how the heck could he even manage with Cosmo so badly out of commission and Wanda taken away?

"You said Wanda used magic without her wand," he said, uncertain Cosmo would respond. "How?"

Water dripped and the silence wore on him. He thought Cosmo wasn't going to reply at first. His sides heaved and Timmy was once again aware of his missing tail.

"I don't know," he said. "She never told me."

"But you sunk Atlantis, set off Pompeii and-"

"With my wand," he answered dully. "Wanda's the smart one. If there's a way to do magic without your wand, she'd know it."

"If she can do it, so can you," he replied stubbornly. "You just need to concentrate."

Cosmo didn't respond. The water dripping became the only noise for an unmeasured amount of time. He thought perhaps Cosmo had passed out on his lap again. At least, in sleep, he healed faster. The tail stub appeared and whatever function the tail had when Cosmo was fey, it must have been important enough to return in wolf form. Cosmo fidgeted, growing warm, a sensation Timmy considered welcome with the cell's temperature dropping. Was it nightfall? He couldn't tell.

"Timmy," Cosmo said suddenly and Timmy jumped.

"What?" he said.

"I'm hungry," he whined. "Where are we?"

"Doombringer captured us," he scoffed. "Don't you remember?"

"Oh…" he said. A brilliant flash temporarily blinded him and he heard Cosmo eating before his eyes adjusted again. Cosmo had conjured up a small grilled steak for himself and a bowl of fruit for Timmy.

"I don't eat fruit normally," he scoffed. Cosmo, scarfing down the steak, didn't answer, unless you counted smacking noises as replies.

"Wait…you did that without your wand," he said.

"Yeah, we can do little things without our wands," Cosmo said. He sounded much better and his tail had almost completely reformed. It was missing its tip; the other wounds were closing and he wasn't bleeding anymore. The trade off was he was still unnaturally hot, a mini furnace, and Timmy's legs were sweating beneath the black denim. He pushed Cosmo's head off and unperturbed the faerie continued chowing down happily.

"Like tunnel us out?" Timmy said.

"I don't think so," he said.

"Was this what Doombringer was talking about?"he wondered aloud.

"Not unless she wants Wanda to make her a soufflé," Cosmo answered.

* * *

"As you might imagine, I'm quite fond of torture," Doombringer said. "As you also might imagine, this particular step required sedating Juandissimo so he wouldn't interfere. Ten thousand years and he's still pining for you? Pathetic."

Wanda was in wolf form still, a form she considered more and more odious as time passed, and strapped down to the original table. She didn't know what Doombringer thought she'd accomplish. Wanda would never speak under torture, and the other thing she'd referenced had been a fluke. She couldn't tap into the ley lines at will. For all she knew, that was a one-shot deal. Jorgen had never mentioned they could do magic without them, and she thought she remembered an old pact saying they couldn't use magic without their wands without invoking a terrible cost. Whatever the cost was, she hadn't incurred it saving Cosmo that time, but it had left her feeling rotten to the core. Two days afterward, she'd been sick to her stomach still and unable to eat, barely able to sleep, and feeling thoroughly wretched.

"I know you won't blab," she said. "I know you're a Mafia Princess and unlikely to blather on about things because you know how the mob operates."

Wanda shuddered. She really didn't like how much intel this woman had on them. She must have spent eons monitoring Timmy. Her stomach clenched.

"However, I know something you don't know," Doombringer said. "But I'll leave that for you to figure out. Or not. By the time I've accomplished my goal, you'll be too busy recovering to realize what I learned."

"And you're going to do this to all the faeries in Dimmsdale?" Wanda said. Doombringer's eyes widened, surprised she'd spoken, but didn't comment on it.

"Not all of them," she said. "Not all of them have your potential. I'll have to see who breaks, who dies, and work from there

"Cosmo started to tell your godson a very interesting story," Doombringer said in a mock pleasant tone. "About a time when you used magic without your wand. I don't suppose you'll save me a lot of trouble and repeat it?"

"No."

"It's a shame," Doombringer said and brought a whip slashing down into Wanda's midsection. "It really would have saved you a lot of trouble too. And pain."

The whip ripped open her tender flesh and she bit back a scream. Doombringer smiled, taking out a large hatchet knife and gouging out the wound until it covered her entire stomach. Faerie blood sparkled and Wanda could see her innards. She thought she might be sick.

"I love how faerie blood sparkles," Doombringer said. "Everything about you is so magical. It makes me wonder why obviously magical creatures are so limited."

Doombringer hacked off Wanda's tail and Wanda screamed, tears streaming down her face. She'd felt the bone snap and then break off and the ensuing blood rush, both from her stomach and now her tail. Shudders wracked her and she knew Cosmo would be babbling like an idiot at this point to stop it. But behind the misery and terror, there were faint stirrings of anger. This woman thought she could push her around. She would be _sorry_.

"I know you won't die of blood loss," Doombringer said. "You're healing yourself right now."

She poked her finger into Wanda's stomach and touched one of the magical sparks. It sent a corresponding electrical surge through her and she yelped, flinching away from it.

"Was Cosmo this badly hurt when you did it? Was he on the brink of death? Tell me."

"No!" she said defiantly, panting and glaring at her. She tossed her head, which was now sodden with sweat. Doombringer smirked and brought the knife down on her right arm, sawing at it to sever it from her body. Wanda saw a dark ball in her mind's eye and couldn't touch it, was still so afraid of the aftereffects of delving into this magic, she was immobilized.

"I won't kill you. Or will I?" she said. Then she touched the slick blade to Wanda's throat and she roared, shoving with the black force in her mind and driving the woman back. She couldn't think; hatred had consumed her. She also knew, with the part of her mind left for reasoning, that if she was going to practice this on her, she'd do worse to Cosmo and Timmy. A dark glow touched her pink aura.

Doombringer was stunned for a moment and Wanda panted, trying to heal herself and think of the next plan for attack. The wounds ceased to matter; fury had formed a tight hard ball in her chest and she saw darkness everywhere. And if it was her only ally, she'd use it.


	5. From the Center

Author's Note: I've been working on other stuff this week, which is why this is delayed. Also, the scene with Timmy and Cosmo turned out longer than the one with Wanda.

Chapter Five: From the Center

"But Doombringer thought Wanda could do more than that, or she wouldn't have captured her and taken her away from us, right?" Timmy said. Cosmo paused.

"I guess so...I don't really remember when Wanda shifted using dark powers..." Cosmo said and winced. "I was kinda...bleeding internally then."

"Wait, Wanda shifted using dark powers?" Timmy said. "I thought you could only conjure up food."

"Duh, if you're still using light powers," he said. "There's a whole ton of stuff you can do if you don't mind...being evil."

"We're stuck and at the mercy of someone who looks like she'd poison babies and then laugh at them," Timmy said. He grabbed Cosmo and shook him. "Do I look like I care whether it's evil?"

"Uh...I also don't know how to do it," he said. "And, uh...I'm kinda scared of it."

"You'd rather be stuck here than risk using dark magic?" Timmy said. He glared at his godfather and Cosmo shrugged in wolf form.

"Yeah..." Cosmo said and grinned sheepishly. "Besides, I'm sure Wanda's got it covered. She _is _smarter than us."

"And completely at Doombringer's mercy," he pointed out. "You can still do magic, without your wand. And whatever you're afraid of, it's not going to matter if Doombringer decides she wants to dissect you and go after everyone in Dimmsdale. You have to at least _try_."

"But...but...Timmy, I don't know _how_."

"Well, uh..." he frowned and paused to actually think about it. "If it's magic without your wands, then it has to come from some place, right?"

Cosmo only stared blankly at him. He deposited him back on the floor and he could see his godfather wasn't following his train of thought. Instead, he began cleaning his closing wounds and Timmy ignored him. He had caught the glimmer of an idea, and he wasn't going to let go of it.

"All magic comes from somewhere, even if it's not your wands or Fairy World, right? Otherwise, all the other magical creatures that _don_'t rely on Fairy World couldn't have magic, right?" he said.

"I dunno..." Cosmo said and shrugged. "Maybe."

"I don't see why it has to be evil if other creatures are using magic that's not Fairy World's," he said and continued on the same point. "I don't see why you can't use that power too and let us escape."

"Elves don't have magic," he pointed out. "And all the other creatures you're thinking of don't actually live in Fairy World. Plus, I don't know that much about them."

Timmy suppressed a groan. "I bet you know a lot more than you think you. You _have _been married to Wanda for almost ten thousand years. You're bound to have soaked up something from her."

"Yeah..." Cosmo said and performed an uncanny imitation of Wanda's voice. "'Cosmo, wear clean underwear!' 'Cosmo, for the last time, we are not doing _that _in public!' 'Cosmo, godchildren are flammable!'"

"Um...that's not what I meant," Timmy said. "I meant you have to know something that you think you don't know. What about dragons?"

"What about them? They eat faeries and our magic doesn't work on them," he said.

"Did it always not work?" he said. He rose and then sat back down. There was no point in wandering around the cell. It wasn't going to get larger if he willed it and they weren't going to escape unless he worked Cosmo around to using the magic he was so afraid of.

"Yes..." Cosmo hesitated.

"Are you sure?" he said.

"Um...I dunno..." he answered."But if you're trying to get me to do that thing...I don't know how to do it. I told you, you have to ask Wanda."

"I'm not giving up," he said. "You're my only chance, and I'm sure you can do it."

And even if he couldn't, there was no point in further reminding him and ruining his only shot. Cosmo glowed in the darkness and he rubbed him on the head. Tilting his neck, he rested his chin on Timmy's hand and the heat on his hand suddenly shot through his whole body, making him feel like he'd been flash fried. Then the sensation disappeared, with only remnants in his stomach.

Cosmo was silent and Timmy stared at him.

"I tried," he said cheerfully. Timmy hissed and shook his head.

The bars returned and a figure flew through the air. Timmy jumped up on instinct and broke the person's fall. At least, he _thought _it'd been person shaped; it groaned like a person. For a few seconds, the two laid there, stunned, and Cosmo's green shimmer doubled before his eyes.

"Of all the places they could have dumped me," a familiar voice grumbled. "What the heck do they think I'm going to do here?"

He groaned and she straightened herself, pushing away from him. Timmy, meanwhile, concentrated on breathing again and not having a sixty pound weight on his chest. Then he froze, realizing whomever it was happened to be sharing a cell with Cosmo, whom he was encouraging to perform magic before her. True, Doombringer knew about Cosmo, Wanda, and Juandissimo, but she was the villain. This was someone who had no business knowing about them.

"Tootie?" he exclaimed. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and stared at him. Her eyes glowed, like Cosmo's did, in the darkness, and it sent chills down his spine.

"Hey, Timmy," she said. She had none of her usual vitality and he couldn't see her well enough to determine why. "Hey, Cosmo. Where's Wanda?"

The simple question, coming from her, sent Timmy into a coughing fit. Doubled over, his eyes watered and he didn't notice Tootie rub Cosmo's ears. What was going on today? Had the whole universe collapsed without his notice? How long had she known about his faeries? He shuddered and coughed.

Cosmo flinched and inched closer to his godson. Feeling protective, he picked Cosmo up and draped him over his legs. Despite the fever he radiated, he felt safer next to him than by Tootie. He pushed back on his palms and sat against the wall. Whining piteously, Cosmo moved and plopped his entire weight on Timmy's lap. He hissed and tried to relax. The small, vulnerable child in him, brought to new life thanks to Doombringer, insisted on hugging Cosmo's head to his chest. His heart pounded.

"How do you know their names?" he said warily.

She grimaced. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this...but..."

"What?" he snapped. His nerves were stretched taut and Cosmo panted against his arms. He might not have Wanda, but he at least had Cosmo.

"I've known about Cosmo and Wanda for almost a year now," she said.

"_What_?" he shrieked.

She didn't answer at first and his ire rose. Tootie stared ahead and Timmy clutched Cosmo tightly. He yelped.

"Sorry," he muttered sheepishly. In return, Cosmo licked Timmy's cheek and Timmy pulled a face. His godfather had bad breath; then again, he probably had it normally. Cosmo's heat made him sweat profusely and he'd rather be uncomfortable than leave his godfather near Tootie.

"You know how I have my Timmy detector?" Tootie said quietly.

"Yes?" Timmy said, aggrieved.

"I also have binoculars and..." she flushed bright red. "I've been spying on you. And one day, I saw you with two floating creatures. I didn't know what I was seeing at first, so I started following you around. Further back than usual, so you didn't notice me.

"Then I saw all the weird things you have, they're the same color as the faeries I saw that day. And they talk. Lately, I've heard them arguing and I got their names. And...that's kinda it."

In a small, confined cell, it was impossible to draw Cosmo away to ask him, so he muttered it into his ear. "I thought you had to go away forever if someone knows about you?"

"Crocker knows about us, and so does Doombringer," Cosmo whispered back. "And we're still here."

"Also..." Tootie said, sounding embarrassed. "Wanda's been wandering town a lot. It's usually when you're distracted. I keep an eye on you all the time, when Vicky isn't making me miserable."

"That's creepy," Timmy said. Tootie shrugged and he sensed the motion more than saw it.

"What can I say? You're the only good thing in my life," she said.

"Yeah, but you could be like a normal person and get a hobby that doesn't revolve around me," he retorted.

"Like you do with Trixie?" she scoffed.

"I didn't build a shrine to her in my room and I don't stalk her or spy on her," he said hotly.

"I don't have faeries like you!" she retorted. "I don't have anything else to take my mind off Vicky!"

"You could try," he said derisively. "Instead of being a creepy stalker."

Tootie fell silent and she sniffled. He felt vaguely guilty, but he was more irritated than remorseful. Cradling Cosmo closely, because he was _his_, he shuffled into the furthest corner from her he could. In their cell, she could still touch him if she leaned over, but it was the best he could do. Cosmo might be turning into a furnace, but he was _his_.

* * *

Doombringer and Wanda eyed each other. Juandissimo had healed her again before this last session and she could heal herself again, if she chose. The dark furious thoughts surged through her and she could easily envision tearing the woman's throat out. Except...this wasn't who she was. Wanda was not the cruel evil faerie who would leave destruction in her wake. She didn't want to hurt Doombringer; she wanted the woman to leave her alone, her and her family. However, she couldn't fight on her terms and Doombringer had no intention of letting her have her wand back.

"You hate me," she said.

"More like an intense dislike," Wanda replied. "This is going to backfire, you know."

"This Dark Crystal puts me in tune with every fairy in Dimmsdale," she replied. "Without your wand, you have to use dark magic, and thus be linked to me. There's no way this can fail."

"Then how did I hit you earlier?" she countered.

"That was...unplanned," she said. "It won't happen next time."

A vindictive smile curved Wanda's lips. "Really? Would you care to find out?"

The woman faltered and Wanda conjured the black ball again. For a moment, they eyed it and its angry energy pulsated against Wanda's fingertips.

"Where are they?" she snapped.

"You've had enough exercise today," she replied. The lab table produced a syringe and she had no doubts what was in it. Snarling, she hurled the dark energy at it and the glass cracked and shattered. Liquid dripped onto the floor, and, annoyed, Doombringer produced a syringe out of her pocket. She tried to remember how she'd shifted that night two hundred years ago. Cosmo's urgency had compelled her. Right now, she couldn't sense her husband or tell where he and Timmy were. This fueled an urgency all its own.

Like before, she _reached _and flung her consciousness out toward an energy source. It tapped into the Dark Crystal's source and Doombringer screeched in outrage. Wanda shot out of the confines, fully healed with the Crystal providing it automatically, and changed into a raven.

"Get back here, damn you!" she snarled and Wanda pelted for the doorways. Doombringer seized a large butterfly net and Wanda screeched defiance, terrified and hoping she could find her family and get the hell out of here. Doombringer swung the net, she ducked, and she rammed her head into the door. Of course. It was locked.

"There's no escape, little faerie," she said. "Surrender now or it'll be worse."

She dove at her and Wanda searched for a window. Of course, the window was locked too. Using her talons, she wriggled the latch back and forth. Doombringer advanced and urgency almost swallowed her. She had to get out of here. Had to find Cosmo and Timmy. Had to get out-

Doombringer slammed the butterfly net down on her and Wanda whimpered.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Dark magick or light. If it floats and has wings, a butterfly net can catch it. _And _nullify its magick. But I commend your efforts, Wanda. You must really be concerned about Timmy and Cosmo. And Tootie."

Wanda blinked.

"Not that she matters much," Doombringer said, scoffing. "You deserve a good long rest for doing such an exemplary job demonstrating my core theories. I'll let you sleep with Juandissimo."

Doombringer's expression darkened. "It's a shame he's a gentleman."


	6. Three's a Crowd

Author's Note: Timmy's an ass in this chapter. I felt it was unjustified, too, even though he had a reason for it. Then again, the justification I usually use for Timmy being a jerk wasn't present, since we have no Lorenzo here. Heh. Feel free to be annoyed at him. I was.

Also, Juandissimo is sympathetic. Yay! And also, this story is hard to write again. (grumble)

Chapter Six: Three's a Crowd

"You know, Timmy, this is the longest we've been in the same room ever," Tootie said.

"Don't rub it in," he muttered. He rubbed Cosmo's ears and Cosmo shifted his weight, tensing on his lap. Timmy suppressed the urge to say 'what is it, boy?' The faerie wolf sprang to his feet, sniffled decisively, and pawed the cell wall. He whined plaintively, butted his head against it, and spun around, chasing his tail. Once he'd caught it, he plopped back on Timmy's lap. Timmy blinked. Cosmo wasn't going to talk with Tootie around, no matter how much she knew, but that was pretty weird, even by Cosmo's standards.

"The longest I've been near one of them, too," she said. "He glows in the dark."

Timmy gritted his teeth. No matter how she prattled on, he decided to ignore her. He was getting on fine with Cosmo before she'd arrived, and now that she'd ruined everything, he wasn't going to pleasure her by speaking. Cosmo stood up and pawed Timmy's chest. Confused, Timmy lowered his head.

"I miss Wanda," he whined. "I know we've been fighting and I said things I didn't mean, but…I'm scared. And I'd rather be scared with her than not knowing what's going on without her."

"I miss her too," he muttered. Cosmo rested his paws on Timmy's shoulders and he hugged him. Tootie scooted closer and Timmy inched away. She huffed.

"You're going to have to talk to me eventually," she said. "Who knows how long we'll be stuck here. And I _know _he talks, so don't act innocent."

"It was a fluke," Timmy said derisively. "He's not going to talk to you."

Resentment balled in his chest and he cuddled Cosmo closer. Cosmo nuzzled his cheek and looked back at Timmy. A heavy silence blanketed the cell and felt oppressive, even though he was the reason behind it. A chill went down his back and he shivered, determined to ignore all that had gone horribly wrong with this day. Cosmo's breath was warm on his hair and he shuddered, backing off Timmy, raising his head, and howling. It echoed and he added to it, letting out a full throated wail and curling into a tight, miserable ball.

The wail sprang back to them, passed through empty corridor, and the sheer misery in it brought a hard lump to his throat. He wasn't sure if it was another trapped faerie, Wanda by a fluke, or just Cosmo crying. Since he was a wolf, he couldn't cry with tears, and so he continued howling. Timmy hugged himself and stared at his godfather. Tootie swallowed hard.

"Would it make you feel better if I howled with you?" Tootie said quietly.

"It won't bring Wanda back," Cosmo said fearfully. "And it won't get us out of here."

"You _could _try anyway, instead of giving up and howling at the walls," Timmy said.

"I told you," Cosmo said. "Only Wanda can do it. I can't focus long enough."

"Do what?" Tootie said curiously.

Cosmo opened his mouth and Timmy snarled, "She knows too much as it is. Don't tell her anymore."

Shutting his eyes, he ignored Cosmo's whimper and planned an escape. The problem was they were completely at Doombringer's mercy. They didn't know how far underground they were, and, if Cosmo was right, which Timmy didn't have a reason to doubt, they really did need Wanda to escape. Doombringer wasn't going to plop her in their laps, especially once she found out Wanda could work magic without her wand. Still, Cosmo was a faerie and Timmy was determined to use him if he could.

Something popped and he opened his eyes. Tootie was holding a sandwich and a soda can. Timmy glared at her and she smiled sheepishly.

"I said I was hungry and then I got this," she said.

"You can feed us but you can't get us out of here?" he snapped.

"It probably takes a lot more magic to tunnel out and escape Doombringer's security than to conjure up a sandwich," she said.

"Don't you start," he said. "This has nothing to do with you. It's me and Cosmo, and then you. It's not a 'we'. I don't want you here, you don't belong here, and you've done enough damage knowing about my godparents. Don't ask _my _godfather for stuff too."

Tootie huffed and looked down at her sandwich. "Maybe you should eat it, then. I'm not hungry, suddenly."

He glared at Cosmo and his ears went back.

"But, Timmy, she was hungry," he protested. "And we're supposed to take care of unhappy kids."

"I'm unhappy," he snapped. "Why don't you take care of me and help me get the heck out of here? Tootie's not your godchild. I am."

Cosmo whined and laid his head down. His ears were still back and he tucked his tail in between his legs. They sat in silence, Cosmo staring at the wall where the bars were on occasion and Timmy glaring at Tootie. Tootie lowered her head too.

"I didn't ask for this," she said. "I wasn't going to tell anyone your secret. I know you don't like me, but you _could _treat Cosmo a little better. It's not his fault we're stuck."

Timmy scoffed, disinclined to take her advice, and stared at Cosmo. Cosmo shivered, suppressing another howl, and Timmy folded his arms across his chest. Why should it matter how he treated him? According to Jorgen, his existence brought suffering upon everyone. He'd be better off if he were never born. He could treat them how he wanted, then, because it wasn't like behaving would change things.

"Whatever," he said flippantly.

Tootie ate her sandwich as quietly as she could and put it down on the cold cement floor. Shaking himself, Cosmo rose again and stone grated. It sounded like the walls were rearranging.

Tootie yelped, jumping to her feet in time for part of her corner to slide back and form another corridor. Cosmo trotted down it and Timmy rose too, along with Tootie. They followed Cosmo down the narrow hallway, which barely had enough room for one person to walk down, and Cosmo nudged open a door. Timmy scrambled over him and flicked a light switch, which provided the first real illumination in the cell.

The room at the end of the new hallway was a bathroom with a small sink, toilet, cubicle shower, and two towels. There was enough space in there to stand two abreast, but that was it. The tiles were linoleum and overhead, a single bulb showed the white walls and dull metal varnish. He turned around slowly and saw Tootie had a black eye. Her hair was also missing near her right ear and she had blood on her forehead. He stared at her. She didn't meet his gaze.

"What happened to you?" he said.

"What do you care?" she said. "You don't even care about your faeries and you love them."

Timmy opened his mouth to reply and couldn't think of anything. The only reply he could think of was too cruel, even for him. He thought about his wish again, and wondered why Tootie hadn't received Cosmo and Wanda in the alternate future. She was certainly more miserable than Chester, if she was ten times more miserable than he was. He ought to feel bad for snapping at both of them, and his conscience was bothering him a little. He returned to his corner and hugged his knees.

Tootie sat down in another corner, unfortunately closer to him, and stared at Cosmo, who wasn't venturing near his godson. Instead, resting his head on his paws, he clamped his eyes shut and whimpered. If he wanted to keep up the bad mood, he could snap at him. He didn't. Instead, he couldn't help but think he'd gotten them into this mess. He was to blame for existing.

* * *

"Wanda is independent," Juandissimo said. He floated in mid air before Doombringer as they discussed Dimmsdale's future in a meeting room near the experimentation room. The room consisted of an open doorway, with love beads dangling in it, a concession to her mock sweet façade, and a plastic circular table with two folding chairs. Behind the table were books, shelved in collapsible bookcases, and a TV set housed on a cheap stand. The stand was white, like the room's walls, and Juandissimo's eyes flicked to it before glancing at his master. It was longer than it was wide and was maybe seven feet across, fifteen lengthwise. It had two doorways, one on each end, and the one on his right went out into the bedroom he was expected to share with Wanda. The first was where they had come in.

"You cannot force her to do your will," he continued. "She will rebel. She has fire." He smiled at the thought.

"She can be controlled," Doombringer replied, sipping her coffee. "All faeries answer to a higher power."

"Because it is in Da Rules," he said. "And to do otherwise would be chaos."

"But you answer to me now," she said. "So Da Rules no longer apply. I'm sure she'll see things my way."

"I am not so sure," he said. "And she very much loves Cosmo and Timmy. It would be foolish to put them at risk and expect her to listen to you."

"I could control her," Doombringer said and twirled the Dark Crystal in between her fingers. "Like I control you."

"Yes, but-" he protested and grimaced. "You have something I want. You have nothing she wants."

"Unless Timmy's fate coincides with Remy's," she said and smiled, snapping the necklace chain off her neck. She dropped it onto the table and twisted the frayed edges. "I already have something she wants. But you're right. Not in the same way as I have Remy."

Juandissimo stiffened, glaring at Doombringer, who affected ignorance. It was a simple matter to repair the chain, less simple to discover where Remy had gone. Her eyes alighted with cruelty and malice, and he thought of Wanda, lying asleep in the bed. He could tell her what Doombringer had planned, but deviating would result in penalties. Plus, the Dark Crystal would ensure any defection would be painful at best.

"I've been keeping an eye on them," Doombringer said. "Do you think Cosmo could prove useful too?"

"Unlikely," Juandissimo said. "I speak not out of a dislike for Cosmo, which is true, but the truth of the matter is you cannot trust Cosmo to use magical correctly even with a wand."

"All that power and it's wasted," she said. Shaking her head, she sipped her coffee. Juandissimo yearned to check up on Wanda, and fought the urge to turn his head to gaze at the door. Aside from the vague sense every faerie had where another one was, he couldn't tell exactly her condition. Silence fell over the little room.

"Go ahead," she said. "Check up on her. She's yours now."

No matter the repercussions, he was determined to have the last word. "She will not be kept, not by me, and definitely not by you."

"Run along, Juandissimo," she said. "Play with your faerie lover."

Juandissimo gritted his teeth and watched her leave the room. Only until she had vacated and was out of sight did he poof to Wanda, to discover her in a tight ball with her arms wrapped her around her knees. He sighed.

"Tomorrow will be worse, Wandita," he said. He stroked her hair and she opened her eyes.

"Why are you here?" she said. "And what's really going on?"

"It is more than my life is worth to tell you," he said.

"Oh great," she said. "You took a vow of silence?"

"Not quite," he said. "But Timmy is not the only godchild here."

"Doombringer has-" he put a hand over her mouth.

"She does not want you to know," he said. "But yes, she does."

He removed his hand and she grimaced.

"I take it you're not going to help me break out of here any time soon, then," she said.

"No."

"Are there any other kids here?" she said.

"Only three I know of," he said. "She has no interest in the other children in Dimmsdale with godchildren."

"Timmy, Remy- who's the third?" she said.

"I cannot tell you too much," he said and bowed his head. He studied her. Like always, she gave off a tremendous bright glow, the kind that made people glad to be near her, and his heart raced in her presence. She was almost as attractive as him, in his eyes, and were he unscrupulous, he'd probably try to take advantage of their position. He had no idea why she'd chosen Cosmo and continued to prefer him, although maybe spending alone time with him would eventually change her mind.

"And you expect me to sit here and let her experiment on me?" she snapped.

"No," he said and smirked. "I do not. I expect her plan to backfire spectacularly and for her not to listen to my warnings."

Befuddled, she stared at him and he smiled.

"I will protect you as best I can," he said and paused, posing. "And look sexy while doing it."

She groaned. "It's all about the looks with you, isn't it?"

"Not all," he protested. "I do still love you, Wandita."

"But you love yourself more," she pointed out.

"How can I not, when I am so gorgeous?" he said and produced a mirror to admire himself. Wanda's eyes alighted on the wand and he jumped aside before she snagged it.

"You should rest," he said. "Tomorrow will be worse."


	7. R & R

Author's Note: I had to throw Wanda back into the mix. It kept happening again and again in my head, and I prefer it this way than to have her separated from them forever.

Chapter Seven: R & R

This bordered on treachery. Were he not attuned to his master's habits he'd never dare attempt it. Were he not so in love with Wanda it pained him at times, he'd also never attempt it. His hands shook and he pointed the wand at his beloved. Unless Doombringer elected to wake early, the spell would ensure she'd be there and back before Doombringer noticed her absence. It was the best Juandissimo could do for her, and the minor defection made his stomach roil. Doombringer could kill him for this, if he weren't so useful; she'd probably torture him instead.

His hand trembled and he lowered his arm for a second. Was it worth it? Was it worth being flayed alive to permit his beloved a brief respite? Then again, if he allowed her this, maybe it'd indebt her to him and give him a better chance to win her over again. And maybe, while she was down there, she might be able to pinpoint Remy.

He sighed and kissed her forehead. Before, he'd used the wand to put her to sleep. Now he woke her and waved it once more.

"I love you, Wanda."

* * *

Timmy couldn't sleep. The hard stone floor didn't encourage relaxation, and Cosmo had fallen silent, only whimpering once in a while. He was constantly and painfully aware of Tootie and their situation, to the point where he'd probably only succumb to fatigue if someone clubbed him over the head and helped. Tootie's reprimand kept popping into his mind and he was tempted to tell her off, but then he'd have to admit Jorgen had cast the spell, and it involved more speaking about things she shouldn't know. Plus, Cosmo and Wanda had seemed so much happier with Chester than with him. His throat tightened.

Maybe they would have liked him better. Maybe he should have received them in the first place, especially since Timmy was only good at screwing everyone over. He hugged his knees and this time, when Cosmo lifted his head to howl, he joined in, tears burning the corners of his eyes.

A bright pink flash blinded him and the three prisoners yelped. Cosmo was the first to recover. Timmy's vision changed from the pink flash to an alternating green one, as Cosmo tackled it.

"Wanda!" he cried.

"Wanda?" Timmy and Tootie echoed.

His vision cleared gradually and he saw his godfather nuzzling Wanda, who was back to her normal form and lying on the floor. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, and her wingtips were black. Startled, she wriggled out from under and gaped at them. Shaking her head to clear it, she gnawed her lip.

"How did I get here? Juandissimo knocked me out and then there was a bright flash…" she frowned and Cosmo bowled her over again.

"You're okay!"he said. He stepped back. "You feel different."

Wanda's gaze took in the shabby cell and then Tootie. Swallowing hard, she backed up and into Timmy without looking. Her hands were shaking and she reached for her wand, which she didn't have. Another jump brought her into Timmy's lap.

"There's another human here," she whispered.

"Tootie already knows about you two," Timmy said darkly. "Apparently, she's known for a while. She even knows you were arguing."

Cosmo licked Wanda's face. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I said. I was only joking, baby."

She ignored him and looked up at Timmy. "She knows about us?"

"Yes, I do," Tootie said. "And I'd appreciate if you talked like I was here, because I am."

"Sorry, sweetie," Wanda said. "We're not accustomed to someone else knowing about us."

"Without exploiting it," Cosmo added.

He rested his head in Wanda's lap and rubbed it along her stomach and thighs. Still disoriented, Wanda shuddered and didn't speak. Timmy wrapped his arms around both godparents and had a brief moment of superiority- 'see, they're mine and not yours'. But did they really belong to someone better? His heart clenched. He probably didn't deserve them in the first place.

"Juandissimo brought you here," Timmy said.

"It certainly wasn't Doombringer," Wanda said and shuddered. "What a horrible woman."

"She did something to your wings," Cosmo said. He lifted his head and nudged one with his paw. "They're turning black and leathery."

"That'd be the dark magic, hun," she said. Shuddering again, she proceeded to tell them what had transpired during their separation. Tootie edged closer and Timmy glared, but she held her ground. When Wanda finished, she sighed and hugged Cosmo.

"But now that we have you here, we can escape, right?" Timmy said.

"I don't think so," she said. "I can only do little things so far, and it makes me sick just to try."

"Yeah, but Cosmo can't, and you can, and you're the only way out of here," he said. "And besides, you haven't even really tried. I'll put it in wish form."

"It won't help if we don't have wands," she pointed out. She lifted herself and looked him in the face. "Sport, are those tears in your eyes?"

"I was thinking about something depressing," he hedged. Wanda stroked his hair.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "We'll get out of here."

"Can I talk to you guys in the bathroom?" he said.

"The bathroom's a weird place to talk," Cosmo said.

"Sure, sweetie," Wanda said and looked around again."Where is it?"

"I'll lead the way!" Cosmo said and jumped to his feet. Wanda rose too and frowned, unaccustomed to walking like a normal being in that form. They trailed, single file, into the bathroom, and Timmy closed the door behind him. Thanks to space confines, Wanda had to sit on the toilet in order for them to fit. Cosmo rested in front of the shower and Timmy stood in front of the door.

"What's up?" Wanda said.

Timmy swallowed. Now that they were alone, the words clogged his throat. He didn't know how to begin. Only he remembered the incident and he was ashamed to mention it, ashamed they'd agree with Jorgen or they'd find a way to abandon him because he didn't deserve them. Mistreating them was one thing. He could mistreat them because they were his and he was free to do whatever he wanted to them. Admitting why it didn't matter was another. Admitting why was showing himself more vulnerable than he really wanted, considering he'd ignored the weeks of dreams before the wish and then tried to deny the rest.

"You can tell us anything," Wanda said gently.

"Even something really stupid, like saying you can't go to the bathroom by yourself," Cosmo said.

Timmy snorted. "That's not it, Cosmo."

"Well, that's good, 'cuz I dunno where Wanda would go if you had to pee," Cosmo said. "This place gives new meaning to the words 'dark and dank'. Ooh, look, there's a cockroach!"

"What is it?" she asked.

"I dunno how to say it," he said and shuffled back and forth. Thanks to the confinement, he had to narrowly avoid treading on Cosmo's tail.

"Try anyway," Wanda said gently.

"It's probably not any stupider than anything I'd say," Cosmo said brightly.

"Have any of your other godkids wished they didn't exist?" he said. He didn't look at them; he stared at the ground. He sensed them exchange a look and Wanda moved to drift and put her hand on his shoulder, except she couldn't float and fell off the toilet. Grumbling, having landed face first on the floor, she pushed herself back up. Then she had to back step, or she'd step on Cosmo. Leaning over, she placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"If they had, we wouldn't know about it," she said. "It's part of the wish. Jorgen keeps a list of all the children who wish and doesn't tend to tell us unless there's a life threatening emergency revolving around the wish."

"Oh," he said. "So if I wished it, you wouldn't know either."

"Did you?" she said sharply.

"I bet Crocker's life was better without you," Cosmo said. "Ooh, and A.J.'s. And Vicky's. Ooh, ooh, and all your other friends too and-"

"Shut up," he snapped. There was a moment of stunned silence. He couldn't remember telling his godparents to be quiet so rudely before. Cosmo was so happily detailing everyone's lives without Timmy, and it only reinforced Jorgen's attitude. He never should have brought it up with them. They wouldn't understand. They wouldn't even know, since this wasn't life threatening, and it didn't matter anyway. Gritting his teeth, he glared. This was pointless.

"Was it something I said?" Cosmo said innocently.

"That's exactly what happened, isn't it?" Wanda said quietly, completely ignoring Cosmo's comment. "Sport, you should know, we've seen the aftermath of those wishes. They're not pretty."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" he snarled. "It's not bad enough I don't deserve you in the first place, but now everyone has to rub it in? Why should I care about you if you're only stuck with me because I was born?"

Silence ensued. Timmy kicked the door and glared at his godparents. "Why should I care about you at all?"

"Whatever happened in that alternate future, it wasn't true," Wanda said.

"Yeah, Jorgen just likes to make stuff up to torture kids he doesn't like," Cosmo said. "And us."

"Everyone was happier," he said. "Their lives were better 'cuz I was never born. Chester was making selfless wishes, you guys and Jorgen were glad you didn't have me around, and my parents were rich."

They were silent again and he scoffed, kicking the door. They didn't have an answer for him. He thought so. Folding his arms across his chest, he stared at the wall and avoided looking at either godparent. Resentment burned in his chest and he hated everyone, but most of all himself. The flipside of his anger was fear and he was afraid to examine it too closely.

"Jorgen lied to you," Wanda said flatly. "Usually, when kids wish they were never born, they want to see they're appreciated. But Jorgen thinks it means you should do selfless acts without expecting anyone to care if you're doing them. So he'll hammer it home the only way he knows how."

"By making you completely miserable," Cosmo said.

"So?" Timmy said. Tears burned his eyes again and he rubbed them.

"None of it was true," she said.

"How do you know?" he countered. "You didn't see it."

"You're right," she said. "We're here because you are. But that doesn't mean we don't want to be."

"We don't want to be _here_," Cosmo pointed out. He sniffed. "I smell another human."

"Tootie?" Wanda said.

"No…" Cosmo said.

"Remy," she said. "To get back to the subject-"

"Remy's here too?" Timmy groaned.

"Yes…why did you think Juandissimo was?" Wanda said tersely.

"Uh…" He hadn't. Chagrined, he rubbed the back of his neck and gnawed the inside of his lip. He had to do it lightly, or he'd cut himself. He'd learned that lesson early on.

"Getting back to the subject at hand," she said. "Jorgen wouldn't have assigned us to you unless he thought you needed us. No matter who else had us in that alternate future, you are more important than they are, because your need was greater."

"Yeah, but Tootie doesn't have godparents," he pointed out. "And she had to be ten times more miserable than me to get you for a day."

Again, they exchanged a look.

"I don't know why she doesn't have godparents," Wanda said slowly.

"Yeah, but we don't know everything," Cosmo said.

"Even if you can be selfish and rude, we still love you," Wanda said. "We will always love you. We're glad you exist. And we wouldn't change that even if we could."

"But we would change our surroundings," Cosmo said. He sniffed and pulled a face, which was impressive enough considering his form. He stuck his tongue out and winced. "Jeez, did you have to pick a bathroom?"

"You mean it?" he said.

"About the bathroom, yes," Cosmo said. "Blech."

"Don't be an idiot," Wanda reprimanded him. "Of course we mean it, Timmy."

"I love you too," he said. He looked at the floor again. "You wouldn't really be happier with Chester?"

"He doesn't even get good TV," Cosmo scoffed. "And his hat isn't a pink aphrodisiac."

"Cosmo!"

"What's an aphrodisiac?" Timmy wondered.

"You're gonna have to go back to Doombringer, aren't you?" Cosmo said.

"Probably…" she frowned. "At least I got to see you two. I'm glad you're all right."

"Hey, Timmy?" Cosmo said.

"What?" he said.

"Do you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?" he said. He grinned wolfishly.

"What are you two going to do? You're not even in the same form," he said.

"Maybe not, but we should still talk," Wanda said. "And in the meanwhile, you can act a little nicer to Tootie, since she's stuck here with us too."

"Yeah, yeah," he said and shuffled back. He didn't really know why they needed alone time, but he wasn't in the mood to argue now. Instead he plopped back down into the cell and stared at her, who had her head on her hands and was curled up in a ball. Adults were weird. His parents had wanted alone time for no good reason too. And it wasn't like Cosmo and Wanda could do anything, when one of them was a wolf.


	8. Dancing with Wolves

Author's Note: Sorry this is late. With school started, it's hard to squeeze in time to update, let alone on time.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. I love snarky Tootie. I don't love, however, addressing the season five concerns I set myself up for earlier. Rawr. Sorry for the rehash, especially since I feel like this is treading on Convos with Wanda territory a bit in the beginning.

Chapter Eight: Dancing with Wolves

Cosmo launched himself at her again and she pushed him away. To her surprise, she could float again and did, levitating above him. Cosmo whined and she grimaced, disliking the necessary conversation. She'd avoided speaking about it for a while, but now, it had to be said. Timmy wasn't the only one suffering silently, and she was afraid if they kept ignoring the problem, it'd only escalate.

"We have to talk."

He cocked his head at her; her rejection had sunken in, but not fully. His ears pulled back and he gazed steadfast at her.

"About what?" he said. "Timmy? Doombringer? Tootie?"

"_Us_," she said. "Cosmo, how long did you think this could go on?"

"What go on?" he said and blinked innocently. She grimaced. She knew he'd be clueless. He was always clueless. On the rare occasion he seized the information quickly, she wondered whose influence it had been.

"Your derogatory comments about our relationship, your insinuations you'd rather be married to someone else…" she sighed. Juandissimo had allowed her to sleep, but only for a short while, and she felt bone weary, rocked by today's events. Cosmo lifted his head and gawked.

"But I don't mean it," he said. "Timmy liked it and, and…it couldn't have been _that _bad, right?"

Wanda glared. "Didn't you wonder why I stopped talking to you mind to mind? Or why I'd suddenly disappear during the day?"

"Yeah, but…" he shook his head slowly. She folded her arms across her chest and grimaced.

"There's no 'but', Cosmo," she said. "This has to stop, this cycle of you hurting me and my hurting you, just to try to inflict the damage. I don't want to hurt you…and…"

She swallowed hard. "I'm still fairly sure you don't want to hurt me."

"Of course I don't!" he exclaimed and jumped to his feet. He nuzzled her stomach and she allowed it, grimacing. She didn't rub his head fur or otherwise acknowledge the affection, however, and instead stared straight ahead at the door. How much of this could the children hear? She really didn't want to leave the bathroom only to confront Timmy about it. Tootie probably wouldn't speak, since it wasn't her place, but Timmy would try to unearth everything he could about the situation.

"I've been hurting you?" he asked. Gritting her teeth, she proceeded to tell him every hateful moment they'd had in the last year, which he might or might not have noticed.

When she finished, his mouth dropped. "But I didn't…I didn't…"

"Don't get me wrong," she said. "I'm very glad to find you and Timmy unharmed and relatively safe, regardless of whether Tootie's now involved too. But something has to change in our relationship."

"Could you…could you change me back?" he said in a low voice. Blinking, she gawked at him. The request was sincere, though she couldn't fathom the reason behind it. Concentrating, she 'located' his real form within a magical network, floating in a nebulous space in her mind. She'd never tried to turn someone back without a wand, aside from herself, and it'd been easier with her since she'd done it before.

The magical network extended around her and connected her to every faerie in Dimmsdale and the world beyond. Though she couldn't tell what every single faerie was, she could tell where the web was strong, where faeries prospered, and saw, out of the corner of her mental eye, where the edges frayed. After that point, she didn't concern herself. She focused on Cosmo's normal form, which was close enough to her to be almost hers. Without Cosmo wearing it, it was vacant, eyes closed, hair a drab grey. All distinguishing color the magic had leeched from it.

Imagining it on him, she dragged it from its space in the netherworld. Unlike her form, it didn't call to her and she ground her teeth. It didn't want to budge. She 'spoke' to it, not in her words, but in feelings and pictures, telling it that it was so like herself as to be her twin, and its owner had given her permission to take it. The magical contract hesitated and then, like a reluctant, whipped dog following its master, it beckoned to her call and trailed her back.

Once it was 'in the room', or, its construct was, she fitted it onto Cosmo and waited. It didn't fit securely, too small to fit his current frame, and she had to meld the two magic forms. Sweat trickled down her brow and she ground her teeth again, certain she'd end up breaking one or two. She nudged the wolf form inside his faerie form, convinced the two they were the same, and waited for an acknowledgement. A pop ensued, she opened her eyes, and Cosmo was in his normal form. She panted, her chest constricting, and her throat burned.

"Wanda!" he exclaimed and she shook her head. She dropped out of thin air and landed on the floor; breathing heavily, she waited for the dizzy spell to pass. It was a shame they didn't have any magic, including their telepathy. It'd be faster to explain to him in telepathy and easier for him to understand, since he'd receive her emotions too. Then again, their telepathy had been ebbing away for months now.

Cosmo dropped to his knees and bowed his head to her. A long time ago, dragon shapeshifters had existed as part of the faerie culture, and some of the practices continued. He showed her his neck, which was a sign of vulnerability and acknowledgement thereof in the dragon community. Startled, she gawked at him. She hadn't even known he'd known the move. Or maybe it was subconscious.

"Wanda, I'm so sorry…" he said. "I don't even know what I can do to make it up to you…"

She sighed. "Right now, I don't have the energy to be upset."

"You're dying?" he said, jumping to conclusions. She smiled weakly.

"Ready to pass out again," she said. Cosmo made an 'oh' and she beckoned him to her. After the initial dismissal, he was disinclined to join her and she smiled at him. She didn't mean to deliver mixed signals. She was just too tired to rehash this, especially when it looked like he finally understood, and she didn't know when she'd see him again. After all this, she just wanted him to know what was going in case…

"It's all right," she said. "Right now, I don't want to think about it."

"I do," he protested. "After all I did and-"

"Cosmo," she said softly, "you can think about it later. I don't know when the next time I'll see you."

"Yeah but…" his lower lip quivered and she grimaced.

"Put it out of your mind just for now," she said. "We have worse problems and I don't want to think about those now either. We're only going to be together for a short while."

"But all how can we do anything if I know I already hurt you?" he said. Damn, she never should have brought it up, but it had seemed so important before she'd drained herself.

"By not hurting me now," she said and touched his cheek. "We'll worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

* * *

Timmy couldn't hear anything from the bathroom. Not that he was eavesdropping, mind you, because the last time he'd tried that his godparents had gotten severely annoyed. Also, after their ordeals, he thought they deserved their privacy. He just realized he had no idea what had happened before Wanda was dumped in their cell. He hadn't even asked. He'd been so focused on himself, he didn't know what had happened to Wanda _or _Tootie.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?" Tootie said flatly.

"Pretty much everything up until this point," he said. "I know I've been a jerk and even if I don't like you, you can't help being a girl."

Tootie stared at him. "That's your apology?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Kinda, yeah."

"You're lucky I love you, Timmy Turner," she said. "Or I'd never forgive you."

Smiling weakly, he stared ahead and wondered when his godparents would be done. Whenever his parents needed to talk without him, though, they could be locked up in their room for hours. Sometimes they sent him to the movies with his friends while they did whatever it was adults did. He thought again of Jorgen and Cosmo and Wanda assuring him Jorgen had misled them. When and if Timmy got out of here, he had a bone to pick with the Fairy World leader.

"You're not mad at me anymore, right?"

There was a pregnant pause and he stared at her.

"What?" he pressed.

"You have a lot to learn about girls," she said and scowled. "And I don't mean Trixie Tang when I say 'girls', either."

"Trixie…" he grinned from ear to ear and she groaned.

"Do you want to hear what happened or not?" she said flatly.

"Wait," he said. He wanted to return to his favorite fantasy, about him and Trixie married with children who naturally looked just like her. They'd live in a mansion and never have to worry about anything ever again. He'd wake up to her and spending every minute at her side. Then she'd glance lovingly into his eyes and fall in love with him all over again.

"You're thinking about her right now, aren't you?" she said.

Her hand would be soft, like velvet, on his face and he'd lean forward to kiss her…

Ow! Timmy jumped. Nowhere in his fantasy had Trixie decided to kick him. His calves hurt and he looked up at Tootie, who was glaring at him.

"Welcome to reality, Timmy," she said. "There's no Trixie here and even if there were, do you really think she'd keep her mouth shut about your faeries?"

"Of course she would," Timmy said.

"No," she replied. "She wouldn't. She'd use them to get whatever she wanted, however she wanted. You can't even tell what she's really like because you're so smitten."

"You just don't like her because I do," he said.

"Sometimes," she said, "I wonder if you even realize how little sense you make."

"You're jealous," he said. "I'm in love with Trixie Tang and not you."

"You're not in love with her," she retorted. "You're infatuated with her, like Juandissimo is infatuated with Wanda."

Normally, he'd have argued the point, except the second half of her sentence completely derailed him. Mouth agape, his mind struggled to form words and produce a sentence at least somehow coherent. This was what he got instead.

"You? Juandissimo? Know?"

Anyone else would have slapped a palm to their forehead and groaned.

"I know a lot more than you think I do," she said. "Especially since you make it a habit of screaming everything especially when you think no one's around."

"If you know so much, how come Fairy World hasn't mind wiped you or taken them?" he countered.

"I don't know," she said. A tiny purple fleck flew off her finger and he stared at it. It glowed for a second and then was gone, like it had never been. He had too much experience with strange phenomena now to equate it with exhaustion.

"What's really going on?" he said. "Are you working for Doombringer too?"

"And what?" she snapped, glaring at him, "I like to beat myself up for fun? If I were working for Doombringer, don't you think I'd stop letting Vicky push me around?"

The thought hadn't occurred to him. He looked at the floor.

"We'll find out tomorrow why we're here," she said. "One way or another, she won't keep us in the dark for long. I don't know her very well, but I can tell you one thing. If she and Vicky are remotely similar, she'll be stringing us along for a while, but it'll be enough for us to figure out what's going on if we stop to think about it."

"Yeah, but Vicky's not that smart," he said.

"True," she said. She hugged her knees. With a sad smile, she looked toward the bathroom. "Nothing I ever wish for becomes reality either."


	9. Anchors Away

Author's Note: School has been kicking my ass. Sorry for the late chapter.

Also, there are scraps of other chapters on my LJ, the link of which is in my profile. You can pm me and I'll send them to you if you're interested.

I've heard this site is having some problems? Hopefully, those have cleared up.

Chapter Nine: Anchors Away

But-" he protested and she shook her head. Inching off the toilet bowl, she collapsed onto the floor and he gasped, shocked. Her limps stricken with temporary palsy, she struggled over to him and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't care that they'd been fighting; she didn't care if their marriage was in trouble, or whether there was a jinx tearing at their telepathy and Bond. She didn't care about anything except having him near her. His warmth, his smell, and the feel of his body against her were familiar and comforting. She knew his body almost as well as her own and, through thick and thin, they'd been together for so long...

"Not now," she murmured. She shut her eyes and snuggled against him. Cosmo opened his mouth, she could tell without seeing it, and she put her finger to his lips. Cautiously, like he had when they started dating, he pulled his arm tighter around her and traced her face with his index finger. His breath was warm on her cheek and she smiled, wishing she could send telepathy but not questioning why at the moment.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I..." he hesitated and she rolled over, draping an arm over his waist. Fatigue overcame her and she felt safe for the first time all day. They might be stuck in a bathroom without their wands, she might have hell ahead of her, but, for the moment, she could handle it. Falling asleep next to Cosmo? Yeah, she thought she could handle that.

"I love you too..." he murmured.  
**

* * *

**

"You've been a busy little bee," Doombringer said, popping her head into Juandissimo's suite before she went to bed. Juandissimo had conjured a changeling to supplant Wanda in the meanwhile; he'd had the idea from reading Doombringer's texts about olden magic. Her intrusion startled him and he dropped his wand, convinced she'd discovered the farce. He picked it up swiftly and she smirked.

"Now what would you have to be nervous about?" she said and raised her eyebrows. "No defections, I hope."

"Of course not," he said. She twisted the Dark Crystal on its chain around her neck and his gorge rose. Originally, he'd had the same reaction to it true fey used to have to iron. It used to prompt muscle cramps, vomiting, nausea, blood draining, etc. Now it only made him feel like he'd been stuck on a rocking ride for far too long. At least, when its power wasn't focused on him. He had to wonder what impact it'd have on Wanda. He'd never been entirely 'good' to begin with- not good, but not evil either. Neutral.

She scrutinized the room and stepped into the room. His heart clenched and she stared hard at the bed, then sniffed and turned.

"Bright and early tomorrow," she said. Shutting the door, he waited until her footsteps vanished before he relaxed and landed on the changeling. Only having assumed the form but essentially composed of dust, it collapsed beneath him and he grimaced, waving his wand to prevent the dust from landing in his hair and clothes.

He should go to sleep. The spell restoring Wanda to captivity would come into effect at around four a.m. Doombringer generally awoke at sunset, so that should allow plenty of time for her to return safely.

He should go to sleep, but he wasn't sure he could. Two creatures he loved were in danger and one had been bad enough.

He should go to sleep, but he wouldn't. He'd stay awake and hope he'd done the right thing, and wouldn't be discovered for it.  
**

* * *

**

Cosmo carried Wanda back into the cell so he wouldn't be alone. Her words played over and over in his mind and he didn't feel worthy of holding her, but he couldn't let go. He was afraid as soon as he let her go, she'd vanish forever. Tears burned the corners of his eyes and he plopped down on the floor. For the moment, he ignored Timmy and Tootie and listened to Wanda's deep, untroubled breathing.

"Thank God," Timmy huffed and dashed for the bathroom. Tootie stared at the fairies.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

"She passed out from too much magic," Cosmo said. Her warmth was familiar and alleviated his worry, at least about this place. Now, their marriage was another story. He felt like an idiot, worse than usual, ignoring what was right in front of him. There was also a matter of that strange statue in a storage room in the castle, one with baleful red eyes, which came to mind for some odd reason. It'd been there almost as long as these incidents...and…thinking about it made his head hurt. He clutched Wanda closer.

"But she'll be okay, right?" Tootie said.

"I don't know..." he said. "This has never happened before."

Tootie scooted closer to examine her. Wanda rested on Cosmo's lap and his arms snaked around her waist. He didn't know why he'd called her fat. There was a little belly fat, sure, but it wasn't significant. He'd heard Vicky calling her that...jeez, there was a bad reason to call her something, if Vicky called her it. His heart clenched.

"How long have you two been married?" she said.

"Nine thousand, eight hundred and eighty six years," he said. Her eyes widened.

Her eyes widened. "You guys are immortal?"

"More or less," Cosmo said and shrugged. "It's been a really long time since any of us died."

They heard a toilet flush and Timmy returned, grinning at them. His smile wilted at the edges looking at Tootie and she huffed, shifting closer to Cosmo and Wanda. Timmy glared and she backed up. Cosmo grimaced. He didn't really want to be in the middle of this. It was their job to comfort miserable children and he couldn't side against Tootie in favor of Timmy knowing just how unhappy Tootie was.

"So, uh...when does this stop being awkward?" Timmy said and settled down beside his godfather.

"When we figure a way out?" Tootie said. She grinned at him and Timmy huffed; she swallowed back her next comment and instead stared at Cosmo, whose fingers ran through Wanda's hair. Other than being trapped with his godson and a girl who knew too much, this could be like any other scene in their history. They'd been married for almost ten thousand years. He had almost thrown it away. He could still throw it away. His heart clenched. He wished Wanda was awake and was glad she wasn't.

"You think maybe we'll wake up and this'll all be over?" Timmy said.

"No," Cosmo and Tootie answered.

Later, when they decided sleep was a worthwhile enterprise, Cosmo cuddled Wanda and curled up beside Timmy. Tootie had inched forward to a suitable place, six inches away from Timmy, which was the closest he'd allow her. Cosmo tried to ignore it. He wanted to fall asleep and see their castle when he woke up. He wanted everything to be normal again, or normal for them.

Cosmo could do magic if he tried, even without his wand. He'd used a small spell to put Timmy and Tootie to sleep without thinking about it. There were rumors he was distantly a Von Strangle and it might explain his vast magical powers... which seemed to be confined to only using wands. Except he'd done the sleeping spell, and made them food. So maybe...

He didn't know. Thinking too much hurt his brain. It was Wanda's job to think. He might be able to tunnel out of here, if he could shapeshift. Wanda had changed her form. Surely he could try. He'd disappoint her and Timmy if he didn't try to get out.

Unless he couldn't get out, because there wasn't anything he could tunnel. It was hard to tell where exactly they were besides 'underground' and 'wet'. It reminded him of the faeries who had seceded from Fairy World, who had refused to serve humans, and it sent a chill down his spine. The magical wars. He'd been alive for them, although he and Wanda had been far removed. They'd been taught about the wars, the faeries who lived underground, and then Fairy World spent the rest of its time pretending the faeries didn't exist.

Cosmo didn't even think they had magic, with or without wands. But he didn't know, not having met anyone from 'down under' in person. Or would that be 'in faerie'?

Maybe Doombringer would think it was a vast misunderstanding and let them go. He didn't think it was possible, but stranger things had happened.  
**

* * *

**

At four in the morning, Wanda slipped out of Cosmo's arms and into Juandissimo's waiting embrace. She didn't stir, save a soft moan, and his heart wrenched. For the first time in thousands of years, he held a sleeping Wanda, but it felt vaguely wrong. Doombringer would promise Wanda to him if he fulfilled certain conditions- he could see the cogs working in her mind, but if he had Wanda on those conditions, then he didn't really have her, did he?

He hadn't slept at all and now, all too aware of this precious gift, he was afraid to sleep. But the magical toll, combined with stress, threatened to knock him out.

And where was Remy in all of this? Where had she stashed him? He twirled a curl around on his finger and listened to her breathing. It was calm, unencumbered, and he envied her. Tomorrow, she wouldn't be as innocent as she was right now, believing herself to be next to Cosmo. Tomorrow, or later today, all hell would break loose again.

Wanda's steady breathing was soothing and his eyelids drooped. Surely he wouldn't fall asleep if he merely relaxed for a while...  
**

* * *

**

Doombringer didn't think she'd ever understand emotions, aside from the baser darker ones. Love, for instance, eluded her completely. She knew Juandissimo had counteracted her orders, although she couldn't prove it, and she knew he loved Wanda although she'd spurned him thousands of years ago. She also knew Cosmo, Timmy, and Wanda had a complicated relationship and that even though Timmy treated Tootie like crap, she was desperately in love with him. She didn't understand the desire to have people around her, or faeries, or anything, really. They were a distraction, a weakness to exploit.

She strolled over to the holding cell beside the kitchen. It had subtle netting on the door with iron residue, to prevent anyone from wandering in. She opened the door and Remy blinked, bleary eyed. Like Tootie, he sported a black eye, but, unlike Tootie, the first thing he did was whine.

"Where's 'dissimo?" he said.

"Nowhere you can reach him," she said. She grabbed his sleeve and rubbed the purple faerie dust, which had settled like layers upon him. "I wonder how long until it sinks in."

"Until what sinks in?" he said. "I'm a Buxaplenty, you know. Someone will eventually-"

"Save it," she said. "Your parents won't notice you're missing and the only creature who does care about you is fussing over Wanda. You'll always be second best, no matter how much money you have."

Remy's mouth dropped and she sighed. "You're nowhere near as saturated as Turner."

"Turner?" Remy repeated. "Turner's here too?"

"I want to run a few more experiments before I start with you two," she said, ignoring his comment but validating it nonetheless. "Until then, it looks like you're at my mercy."

Remy stared at his handcuffs and foot bindings. Being on the ground floor, Doombringer hadn't wanted to risk Remy bolting. And, being separated from Turner meant they couldn't collude, although their attitudes argued they wouldn't agree anyway.

"Experiments? What are you talking about?" he said.

"Do you always have to talk in a nasally voice?" she shot back. "Never mind. I'll let you see Juandissimo...soon."

"You know," he said. "I have-"

"I'm not interested in money," she said and ran her fingers down Remy's cheek, his chest, and stopped on his stomach. He swallowed hard and she removed her fingers. This was interesting. She might be able to exploit it at a later date. His face had lost all color and he jumped backward, shuddering. It was an effort he successfully squashed a moment later, but the damage was done. Children were all too transparent.

"I'm interested in power, magical power," she said. "And once I have it..."

She grinned from ear to ear. "Then the fun really starts."


	10. Think Well, Do Take Your Time

Author's Note: Hey, this update is on time. And right on the heels of the last one, so be grateful. And please read and review.

If you guys get the chance, pick up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I'm obsessed with the series right now.

Also…while it's still on my mind- "Cosmo Rules" established Cosmo is very distantly related to Jorgen. I've forgotten certain episodes haven't aired here yet, since I've seen all of them now.

Chapter Ten: Think Well, Do Take Your Time

Warm air blasted in her face and she sputtered, eyelids fluttering, struggling to locate the source. Blurry shapes danced before her eyes and she groaned, reaching for her wand. Her fingers found no purchase; they brushed a cold metal table and the pervading 'wrong' sense halted her. The warm air, issuing in bursts at her eyes, ceased and she rested her left palm flat on the table. She jolted. There were no such tables in the castle; beside her always was a nightstand. The realization brought home yesterday's events and she rubbed her eyes; at least her hands were unfettered. Her legs, however, were bound at the ankles and knees by thick leather to the stretcher upon which she found herself.

Once her eyes adjusted, she recognized the room. It was the same as yesterday and Doombringer was beside her.

"Juandissimo sent you to Cosmo and Timmy, didn't he?" she said. Wanda scowled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. Of course, it'd been obvious who the culprit was, but she hadn't actually been awake for his sending.

"Don't lie," Doombringer snapped. "You were with Cosmo and then magically reappeared around four a.m. I have security cameras, you know. I know every little thing you and your disgusting cohorts do."

Here would be the time to tread lightly. The thought of Doombringer watching their little episodes last night turned her stomach. Morbid curiosity compelled her to ask.

"How much did you see?" she said. Her mouth dried and she licked her lips.

"Which part?" Doombringer said and her eyes sparkled. Wanda squirmed, unable to help it, and Doombringer grinned viciously. She touched Wanda's cheek the way Cosmo had and Wanda almost wrenched something evading it. Doombringer chuckled.

"You really should know better than to discuss vulnerability in the enemy's stronghold," she said. "I thought a don's daughter, at least, would know to keep her mouth shut."

Chilled to the bone, she asked the question she'd been wondering yesterday. "How do you know so much about us?"

"From studying you, mostly. Crocker has surveillance cameras, but they never seem to work. He might be subconsciously sabotaging himself," she said and shrugged. "You also have a penchant for speaking loudly when you think you're alone, and…well…Juandissimo knows a remarkable amount. In the beginning, I had to wring it out of him, but it worked out in the end."

Wanda clamped her jaw shut and whimpered. So he _had _betrayed them. Whatever small comfort he'd allowed her by transporting her to Cosmo paled in comparison to the depth of knowledge Doombringer had from him. She started to curl into a ball and her legs wouldn't accommodate her. Forcing herself to be strong, she met Doombringer's gaze and held it as long as she could.

"Not what you expected to hear was it, little faerie?" Doombringer taunted. "I also expect you wouldn't want to hear about what I have in store for Cosmo, Timmy, and Tootie later."

She stared at her. She was still shocked by Doombringer hearing them at their most vulnerable to formulate a proper reply. In the back of her mind, she sensed the darkness resonating within her, clamoring for use again, whispering magical seduction and escape if only she succumbed to it. There was a way out, it whispered, although there'd be blood on her hands. She winced. The thought of Timmy and Cosmo tortured was abhorrent. So was the idea of killing someone.

"Originally, I planned on seizing everyone in your family and seeing how well you stood up to seeing them in pain, but then I realized," she said. "One, I'd have to visit Fairy World without alerting Jorgen to my existence, and two, I'd take the chance one of your relatives might disapprove of me. I'm not quite ready to deal with the less compliant faeries."

"So you'll let me go?" Wanda said, knowing there was no chance of it. Doombringer laughed in her face.

"No," she said and twirled the Dark Crystal between her fingers. "Since you have no chance of escaping me, even if you transformed, I thought I'd tell you a little of what I have in store."

She snapped her fingers and the table dropped her into a small cell, not unlike the one she'd briefly shared with her family. However, theirs wasn't lined with butterfly nets. Wanda went cold inside and her teeth chattered. In addition to the butterfly nets covering the walls, she tasted iron in the back of her throat. The Dark Crystal glowed and a sensation she hadn't experienced in hundreds of years returned in full force.

Hundreds of years ago, realizing the faerie were highly susceptible to iron and that it posed a serious health risk to faerie stationed on Earth, Jorgen had commissioned the doctors to produce a cure. Although it gave faeries that used to be highly affected the chills once in a while, it didn't induce any strong reactions. Wanda, who had always been least affected, felt the iron resonate within her again stronger than ever.

Her stomach cramped and she curled into a ball, grateful she was no longer bound. The iron made her feel like her skin was on fire, her bowels rippled unpleasantly, and she tasted blood, like the iron, in the back of her throat. She reached for Cosmo to remember he wasn't there and Doombringer laughed.

"Every day, you'll spend your time in that cell. Every night, I'll take you out and test your magical skills. If you can prove yourself, you'll earn the right to stay with Juandissimo again. If you can't use magic to my satisfaction, I'll increase the cell's effects. I've heard, in strong doses, iron could kill faeries."

She laughed again and it echoed. "Also, so you don't get bored down there, there's a small monitor. I'll show you entertaining excerpts from Timmy's training."

A small circular hole in the ceiling was the only view she had of Doombringer, who cocked her head as if considering a new matter.

"Juandissimo won't be happy at first," she said. Then she hissed, "But that will teach him to poof you away to Cosmo when he thinks I'm not paying attention."

Chills wracked her and she curled tighter into a ball. Her teeth chattered and although her skin burned, she felt like she'd never be properly warm. Again, she caught herself before she grabbed the non-existent wand. From the way the cell was shaped, she could feel butterfly net fibers beneath her and, if she stretched out, she touched the netting. Her stomach cramped again and she swallowed back nausea.

"Think well, Wanda," she taunted. "Do take your time. Think about how important your family is…alive."

* * *

Timmy awoke to discover Cosmo stomping on the floor. His brow was furrowed and he had devised little hooves to paw and see whether he could dig up the cement.

"What the heck are you doing?" he said.

Cosmo didn't answer. Timmy frowned.

"I _said_-" then he stopped. Cosmo was in a rare state for him, concentrating on the task at hand, and dark wisps floated around his hands and feet. Without warning, Cosmo flopped to the floor and shoved his hands against it. The darkness spread and Timmy yelped, jumping back. There was something supremely unsettling about his godfather's usually bright and cheerful aura subsumed by black and competing for control over the green.

Cosmo rose, on his knees now, and yanked on an invisible leash. Tootie stirred, rubbed her eyes, and clamped her jaw shut. Cosmo's gaze was focused on something no one but he could see and he growled, using both hands to reel it in. He fell over backward, onto his rear, and didn't notice. Instead, he continued tugging and there was an audible snap. Light showered his godfather and Cosmo whirled, his whole body glowing with strange magical sparks hopping all over his frame. It gave Timmy the creeps.

"Okay, let's go go go!" he said. They stared.

"There's only a foot of cement underneath the floor and then it's just mud," he said. "I have enough magic to break through it and shift into a gnome, but we have to do it right now!"

"Um," Tootie said.

"Uh…" Timmy added. They were at a complete loss.

"Fine, I'll go first," Cosmo said and shifted into a jackhammer. Tootie yelped and jumped into Timmy's lap in time for the green haired faerie to crack up the entire floor. Alarms sounded and Tootie wrapped her arms around Timmy's neck. Timmy, on impulse, had wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What was that?" he said. They couldn't see anything, but they could hear loud, earsplitting shrieks from nearby.

"I don't know, but I think Cosmo triggered it!" she said. The mounting volume rendered anything below screaming inaudible.

He shifted his hands from her waist to his ears and she did the same. Their eyes met and Cosmo, out of the corner of their vision, shifted into a gnome and dove into the soil. Timmy upended Tootie, rushed to the tunnel Cosmo was hurriedly building, and magic whooshed around him. It was like the magical equivalent of an energy drink rushing to the surface.

"Not so fast," Doombringer snapped and the alarms stopped. Timmy looked down. Cosmo had tunneled at least two feet below the surface and he didn't need further encouragement. He launched himself after his godfather and Doombringer whistled.

Juandissimo raised his wand and a red rope snagged Timmy around the waist. It glued him to the wall and then searched for Cosmo who was, to his credit, trying his hardest to evade capture. Every time the rope found purchase and Timmy and Tootie gasped, Cosmo moved another six inches down. Timmy's heart pounded in his chest. Maybe his godfather might escape.

"Damn it," Doombringer snapped. "I should have known better than to underestimate him."

"Would you like me to fetch him personally?" Juandissimo asked.

"If he escapes, he'll warn the others," Doombringer said and stared at Timmy and Tootie. "But he won't be gone for long. He can't abandon his godson and he knows I have Wanda."

She frowned. "However, he might run to Fairy World and get help."

"Is that a 'yes' or 'no'?" Juandissimo said, sounding irritated.

"Yes," she said. "Go after him."

Juandissimo shifted into a mole and leapt into the hole Cosmo had created. Timmy stared at the broken floor Cosmo had sent flying and Tootie moved it into position, covering back up the escape route. Doombringer snarled, rubbing the Dark Crystal, and his throat burned again, along with feeling like someone was sitting on his chest. Tears prickled his eyes and all he wanted to do was submit, to make the pressure stop and the unshakable terror cease. And yet…Tootie kept moving.

She didn't stop until she'd covered the hole completely, both with the cell floor fragments and the pile of dirt.

Then she raised her chin and stared at Doombringer. "My Timmy is in danger. Anyone he loves, I love too and I won't let you hurt them."

"What a touching speech," Doombringer snapped. "Juandissimo, leave Cosmo. I want this child."

"For what?" Juandissimo said. His voice was muffled. "You already have Remy."

"I wonder what kind of team she'd make with Wanda…" she said. "There's suppressed anger and determination to protect what's hers. She and Wanda may be kindred spirits after all."

"Tootie doesn't have magic," Timmy snapped.

"That's where you're wrong, child," she said. "She still has magic…from when Cosmo and Wanda were her godparents."


	11. Pinning All Your Hopes

Author's Note: Despite a major upheaval in my life, school kicking my ass, and everything else, I got a new chapter to you one day late. :P And really, are you going to complain?

Please read and review. XD I love you all, as you know.

Chapter Eleven: Pinning All Your Hopes (On the Horse That Won't Run)

The surface air was intoxicating after being trapped underground. Cosmo inhaled several deep breaths and launched himself to the surface. He shook his head to remove the debris from his fur and stared ahead. There was something important he was forgetting, but he couldn't remember what it was. Wanda was in danger and he had to rescue her. To do that, he'd have to gain entry to Timmy's house again and force himself to shift again, into a fish, to retrieve his wand. While he was still focused, he should attempt it…

"_No, Cosmo! Not now!"_ Wanda's voice of reason shunted him back and he smiled. He was so focused now he had Wanda with him even when she wasn't.

He launched himself along the street and stared at his surroundings. They were on the outskirts of Dimmsdale, whereas Timmy lived in the suburbs. He had a lot of distance to travel and he'd better do it as soon as possible. Without thinking, blindly reacting, he shifted into the dog. He couldn't run as fast in his previous form. Wanda was in danger the longer he lingered. He darted off and got a couple blocks before noticing the pervading sense of 'wrong'.

A dog with a half crown, tarnished and glowing obsidian, advanced from a fence. It looked familiar and Cosmo yelped, backing up with his tail between his legs. He missed his wand.

"What are you doing here, faerie boy?" the dog sneered. "This is our town now."

"No…" Cosmo said, confused. "This is my town. Me and my wife live here. Who're you?"

The dog advanced and his blue and purple fur rippled. He bared his teeth and snarled; Cosmo looked back at where he knew the escape tunnel to be, and thought of his family trapped in Doombringer's clutches. He snarled back and did what was expedient. He rushed past and ran, putting all his energy into escaping. The dog didn't chase him however- he snickered and called after him.

"Don't worry! You'll meet my friends soon enough!"

Cosmo's gait loped him past stores and random people, perplexed at the green dog tearing through the city. He hoped a dogcatcher didn't catch him. He didn't have time to worry about it, but he really hoped he didn't. What would Wanda think of him then?

The scenery blurred around him. He knew where Timmy's house was. He could locate it with his eyes closed. As a matter of fact…

"_No, Cosmo_."

"Oh, Wanda," Cosmo said with a rueful smile. "You always know what's best for me. Too bad I never listen."

Nonetheless, he kept his eyes open and sailed past Timmy's school. School was in session, despite Timmy being missing and the universe being off kilter. He cast one quick glance at it, spying Crocker, and pushed past it. He hoped Timmy didn't end up like that.

A few blocks away from the school was Timmy's house and he panted, catching his breath. A gang of dogs, all with purple fur and various shades, advanced. They had half crowns lined with black floating above their heads and they radiated menace. Cosmo's tail flew between his legs and he whimpered, looking ahead. He was so close. Yet here they were and here he was, outnumbered and without magic. He could feel the ley lines rushing beneath the town and he hesitated, afraid he couldn't shift again and terrified he'd need to. This wasn't their town- it was his. Why were they here?

Gulping, he whimpered and scrutinized the street. The only way he could think to escape meant shifting again, but maybe if he sped fast enough…

He bolted straight into the thick and they converged upon him. Petrified, knowing failing here meant losing his shot at rescuing his family, he reached deep underground for the ley lines, which were shimmering liquid grey in his mind. He pulled them up over him and his mind's eyes changed from the ley lines to a small green sparrow, capable of flitting into the trees and evading half-breed faeries on the hunt. The dogs collapsed upon him and just as a jaw closed around his leg, he sprang forth, wings flapping madly, and flew up high onto a branch.

This was too much shifting without his wand and he trembled, feeling the darkness encroaching. The last time Wanda had shifted without her wand, she'd done it only once and been sick as a dog for almost a week afterward. Cosmo didn't want to know what would happen to him after shifting three times, with two more ahead of him. His stomach clenched and he thought he might be sick, but he swallowed it back.

The dogs yipped and howled and Cosmo flew higher, clamping his beak shut.

_Oh, Wanda, I don't feel so good._

What he saw next made him plummet a few feet before he struggled back up. His feathers retained black on their edges; the dark powers he had to tap into were starting to corrupt him. Squawking, he flew higher and told himself once he got his wand, it'd be reversed. Wanda hadn't said that was possible, but she wasn't here right now and he was sure it was. There was no way the darkness would manifest itself in him forever. He just had to keep flying, flying straight, and he could see Timmy's bedroom windows in the sunshine.

He headed straight for them and smashed into the opposite wall. The windows were open. Timmy's parents were inside, seemingly ignorant it was a workday, and Cosmo shuffled behind the dresser.

"What was that?" Mrs. Turner said. "It sounded like a bird hit the wall."

"Now, now, honey," Mr. Turner said. "Birds don't fly into rooms, you know that. And besides, you're probably just tired because we stayed up all night wondering where Timmy is."

"That's true," Mrs. Turner said. "I just hope he's okay. He's never been missing this long before. Well, there was that time I could have sworn he went inside the TV, but, not like this. What if something happened to him?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Mr. Turner said. "It's not like a maniacal teacher bent on revenge kidnapped him and his friend and is holding them hostage somewhere deep under Dimmsdale. That'd be more like an action adventure thriller."

"Timmy!" Cosmo yelped. He'd completely forgotten, somehow, that Timmy was being held captive, just like Wanda, and he'd left Timmy in the cell while he bolted for freedom. Shuddering, he looked at the fish bowl. No wonder Timmy was angry with him; he couldn't remember a simple thing like being held prisoner.

"Did someone just scream Timmy's name?" Mrs. Turner said.

"You know what's weird?" Mr. Turner said, ignoring his wife completely. "Timmy's fish are missing too. And so are all his other pink and green things."

"You don't think there's a connection, do you?" she said. "Why would someone take him and his fish?"

"I don't know, honey," he said. "There are some strange people out there."

"But…but he never came home last night!" she said. "How could they have snuck in here to take his fish after taking him?"

"I don't know," he said. "You never know."

Cosmo swallowed hard. This was as good a time as any to shift into a fish and reach the castle. His body ached and he trembled, swallowing his fear. The transformations weren't permanent, and he'd get his wand as soon as he got inside the castle. He could do this. He had to do this. It was for Wanda and Timmy, whom he'd forsaken.

Picturing the fish form, he drew the ley lines over himself again and slammed into the bottom of the glass bowl. It rattled and Mrs. Turner caught it before it fell over and smashed onto the floor. Cosmo panted, feeling like someone was slowly crushing him. His vision faded in and out and the darkness approached, more terrible and powerful than ever before. It whispered to him, telling him he didn't need his wand, and he could give himself completely over to it. The wands were a handicap, it told him, and faeries didn't originally need them.

"I see one of Timmy's fish," Mrs. Turner said. "He doesn't look too good."

Cosmo shut his eyes and imagined himself rushing into the castle. His body would lift into the water and he'd charge inside the gates. The water buoyed his body and he swam straight through the entrance. He pictured it vividly, so vividly he was shocked to discover he hadn't moved and Mrs. Turner was rifling through Timmy's drawers to find fish medicine.

"I don't want Timmy to come back and find his fish dead," Mrs. Turner said.

He had to force himself inside the castle. How could he reach Timmy's room and abandon his family now? He pushed off against the bottom and fell. Gasping, he pushed again and rose a half an inch before sinking. No, this wasn't any good. Frustration welled within him, the same familiar frustration he felt when he'd tried to learn something when he was younger, before he'd finally given up on it. He pushed again and this time floated. Okay, floating was good. Now he had to propel himself forward.

"Don't you worry, little fish," Mrs. Turner said. "Would you believe Timmy doesn't have fish medicine? He doesn't even have food for them. What on earth do they _eat_?"

Cosmo focused on the drawbridge and amassed his remaining energy. It was a pitiful sight short of what he normally possessed, but, gathering it, he shot at the bridge, swam into the castle, and silently cheered. Yes, he was here, he could get the wands, and this whole mess would be finally over. He cheered, whooped…and realized something.

The fish bowl required them to be fish. The castle required them to be smaller versions of themselves, which wouldn't have been a problem with a wand. Cosmo flopped uselessly on the castle floor and struggled to breathe. White spots appeared before his vision and his lungs contracted uselessly. There was a faint light at the tunnel and he focused on it. At least if he died, he'd see Timmy and Wanda again. Of course, they probably wouldn't be too happy with him if he died and left them there.

He compelled the light toward him and it seared through him, burning magical conduits along his body and probably setting his Fagiggly gland off kilter again. With a loud snap, he slammed into the castle floor in his normal form and tested his wings. They fluttered with black lining the edges; he stared into the smooth, reflective floor and discovered his hair had black highlights and his body had acquired an unpleasant paler gleam, like he was turning into marble to contrast the darkness enveloping his hair and wings. He shuddered. He hoped the wand would fix that.

Unfortunately, unless he directly tapped into the ley lines again and risked further corrupting himself, he had almost nothing left. He couldn't even stand. He instead crawled, every inch gained feeling like a foot, and groaned. This was so hard to do. He wished he had Wanda or Timmy or someone else here. And they were all counting on him…

Edging forward on his elbows and knees, he pushed his way forward. Of course, the wands were in the furthest corridor, all the way at the end. He dragged himself forth, telling himself when he got the wands he'd be back to normal. Thankfully he didn't need much convincing. Unfortunately, he had more confidence the wands would restore him than confidence he'd reach them on his own.

* * *

"What the heck are you talking about?" Timmy snapped at Doombringer, whose eyes sparkled with malice.

"Before you got Cosmo and Wanda, Tootie had them," she said. "They don't remember because, well, what well run dictatorship wants people to remember their mistakes?"

Timmy went cold inside. There was a disgusting ring of truth, but he didn't want to touch it. Doombringer was the enemy.

"You're wrong," he said. "Tootie's never had fairy godparents."

"How would _you _know?" she replied curtly.

"How would you?" he retaliated.

Doombringer watched Juandissimo race down the tunnel Cosmo had created. Timmy's teeth chattered and he willed them to stop, for his body to relax. He unconsciously took a step closer to Tootie, as if to protect her from this madwoman. Despite the fear running rampant through his body, he met Doombringer's gaze.

"Because Tootie has magic," Doombringer said and smiled viciously. "Why else would she have magic if she weren't a former godchild? Half faerie? Ha. I control all the half breeds in this town."

"Tootie doesn't have magic," Timmy countered.

"Denial," she scoffed. "We'll see how you feel once I begin testing you."

"Cosmo's going to come back and free us," Tootie snapped. "And then you'll be sorry."

"Cosmo?" Doombringer laughed cruelly. "You're pinning all your hopes on Cosmo?"

"Yes, we are," Tootie said defiantly. "I don't know if I had them as my godparents before, but I do know one thing. He got out of here, which means he's smarter than you think he is."

Doombringer stared. Timmy's stomach somersaulted and he smiled weakly. He was actually proud of her for standing up for Cosmo, even if this situation was out of whack. And maybe Tootie had a point. If Cosmo had sufficient motivation, he could accomplish some pretty difficult tasks, by his standards.

And anyway, he'd rather be on Cosmo's side than Doombringer's.

"Cosmo or not," Doombringer said. "Today I start with Remy. Tomorrow, I come for you two."

She smirked. "Don't expect to see your fairy friends any time soon."

Strolling off, she returned the cell to its previous, non-barred state, and Timmy stared at the walls. Was Doombringer right? How would they even know? And how could she know if Tootie had Cosmo and Wanda, or different fairies? It didn't seem fair she knew so much more than they did and delivered the information piecemeal.

Timmy stared at the hole Cosmo had left and a purple sheen lit up the cell. He knew, without testing it, Juandissimo had sealed the gap. Shoulders hunched, he glanced at Tootie.

"What do we do now?"


	12. Destruction in Small Doses

Author's Note: I never intended to focus on Cosmo. I swear it happened out of nowhere.

On time for once, owing to my having less work this week. XD

Please be sure to read and review. Much thanks.

Chapter Twelve: Destruction in Small Doses

Remy stared sullenly at the blank wall in front of him. Doombringer had set a single objective before him, one that was impossible without magic or another human being, materials, and planning. In his current state, he couldn't bribe the wall, wish it away, or hire a crew to knock it down. Doombringer wanted him to will it down, to use the magic she claimed swirled in his veins to either knock a hole in it, create a tunnel, or develop an escape vent. She asked the impossible. A human couldn't perform magic. He needed Juandissimo and he'd told her, except she wouldn't hear it.

The wall before him was white, at least ten feet high, and had no holes in it. It remained obstinately whole, as if mocking him. Remy glared at it. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could blame Turner for this. He hated Turner. He'd love to punch him in the face and use him to create the tunnel. Unfortunately, while the hatred was satisfying, it wasn't helping him escape.

If he had fairy magic bubbling through his veins, it'd be purple, like Juandissimo. Thinking about his fairy made his heart ache and he gritted his teeth. He never felt like Juandissimo was a father in any respect, which only made matters worse. Juandissimo would blast the wall and they'd be on their merry way. Except, he hadn't seen Juan since they'd captured him and he had no wand at his disposal. Everyone knew fairies needed wands to do magic. Why hadn't she left him one?

The wall was white. He was starting to hate white more than Turner. It was white, it was whole, and nothing was happening to it. What could she expect from him? He hadn't been around Juandissimo like Timmy had been around Cosmo and Wanda. Whatever minimal supernatural influence Juandissimo had given him, assuming it was real, wasn't going to do anything.

And assuming he did manage to escape this room? There would only be another one beyond it with another test. Hunger gnawed at him and it was an unfamiliar feeling, a burning in the back of the throat and his stomach turning over unhappily. He'd never been hungry before. He'd never been this miserable before, either. Hugging himself, he glared at the wall. When he escaped here, he'd hire someone to knock down every single wall in this place.

Narrowing his eyes, he pictured himself with heat vision. He'd sear through the wall and watch it smolder, slowly working down the way until he created a large enough hole. Unfortunately, with heat vision, he'd have to work on it layer by layer. He snorted, imagining turning the heat vision on Doombringer and watching her scream. His lips twisted…and then he frowned. But hurting her wouldn't bring back Juandissimo and Juandissimo was the only thing in his life he actually cared about.

Shutting his eyes, he imagined Juandissimo safe and secure behind the hole he hadn't yet created. The ache joined his hunger pains and he opened his eyes. He felt too miserable to picture anything and he rubbed his fingers together. Little purple sparks shot off the fingertips and he jumped. He hadn't been around Juandissimo; there was no reason for him to have fairy dust on him. Was this what Doombringer was talking about?

She could have given him a hint about how he was supposed to summon the magic he didn't have. He pictured punching the wall again, this time with inflated fists, and a crater appeared at his level. Startled, he stared at it and his bones hurt, like he was applying an iron to them to flatten them. The cause and effect were so fast, he gawked. The crater remained, as did the physical sensation.

It wasn't a particularly large crater- it had indented perhaps four inches. Remy didn't know what to make of it. He hadn't known he could do it in the first place and now that he had, how was he supposed to deepen it? Especially if doing it had hurt him.

He wasn't used to thinking about things. He had people who did it for him or, in lieu of that, he did what was easiest. Already thinking this long had hurt his brain. There promised to be more in store, too. Gritting his teeth, he scrutinized his surroundings.

He was hungry. He wouldn't eat until he created the tunnel. It was time to hurt his brain some more.

* * *

Cosmo slithered on his belly toward the back. Something hinted it'd be easier to succumb to the dark magic and allow it to seize him, control him, and then he'd reach his wand. Cosmo, who normally caved to any sort of pressure, wasn't tempted. Dark magic terrified any light, decent fairy, and he already knew he didn't want to see what prolonged exposure did. Ignoring the nudges and the wordless insinuations, he edged forward and stared at the wands at the end of the hall. They were so far. He had almost no strength left.

Maybe if he changed one more time…

_No, Cosmo._

His lips twitched. How could his mental Wanda tell him no, when she wasn't here? He was doing this for her and Timmy. Surely, she'd understand?

And so would the black magic swirling around him. He shuddered and pressed onward. His stomach felt raw and scraped and he wished the portraits in the halls were sentient and capable of carrying him. So little was possible without his wand and he dragged himself forward, wishing for it with every fiber of his being. Why had they designed the castle corridors so damn long?

He looked up and he was almost halfway there. His muscles cried out and the darkness pressed in upon him. It promised he'd only have to give in this once, and it'd let him have the wands. And then it'd leave him alone. There was absolutely nothing suspicious about the offering. Of course, it said this without words, only presenting it with feelings and implications. Cosmo quivered and gulped, inching forward and brushing against an intangible cloud he saw with his mind's eye. One little sacrifice. All he had to do was let it in once more and he could have his wands, and it'd leave him alone.

Cosmo inhaled shakily and the darkness weighed upon his chest, pressing invisible daggers into his heart and lungs. Breathing prompted a faint whimper and the darkness acknowledged it. But it would go away if he acknowledged it and let it help him. Cosmo stared at the wands and then 'saw' the grey cloud. Wanda would tell him this was a bad idea. Wanda wasn't here. He had no one else to depend on. He had no other way of gaining more energy without draining it from Timmy's parents, which was not only against Da Rules, it'd land him in Abracatraz. Plus, he didn't even know how to drain people and turn their energy into magic.

Thinking hurt his brain and the darkness knew this. He bit his lower lip.

"Just this once?" he called and it indicated assent.

Cosmo trembled. This was a bad idea and though he wasn't the brightest bulb in a box of 10-watt bulbs, he knew it. But what choice did he have? On his current energy level, he'd never make it to the wands. He could feel his strength leaving him and his elbows, which had been supporting him so he could slither forward, gave out underneath him. How else was he supposed to push himself forward? By his chin?

((This once.))

It was speaking to him via telepathy. Cosmo stiffened. Anything that could speak inside your mind aside from your soul mate was either evil…or…he didn't know. He lifted his head and an invisible something tilted it this way and that. It withdrew and he swore he saw a smile in his mind.

((You'll do.))

Strength returned and he rose to his feet. Without questioning why the being had accepted something for nothing, he dashed to the wands. Sure, the voice in his head had been a little creepy, but he didn't care right now. He pushed the emergency release button on the captive wands and they landed in his hands. One for him, and one for Wanda. They could get out of Doombringer's clutches and return to the way things were supposed to be. Timmy would make a bunch of dumb wishes and-

His reflection caught him up short. Before, his hair was green with black streaks. Now, it was forest green, black overlying the green, and his normal color was gone. His hair was also longer, brushing his shoulders, and the ends twitched. Whimpering, he looked at his eyes.

The irises weren't remotely green anymore. They were grey bordering on black, making the pupils hard to see, and they had slanted, like cat's eyes, or like the old elves and fairy used to be. Hand trembling, he reached up to touch his ears and brushed aside his hair.

His ears were pointed. The only time they were ever pointed was as a result of a wish; he and Wanda had normal, rounded ears. Only the anti fairies consistently had pointed ears; it was the tainted mark. Cosmo shuddered uncontrollably.

The nameless being within the castle registered its scorn, not with him, but with how easily he'd fallen into its trap. Cosmo's eyes bulged and he waved his wand to cure himself. Nothing happened. The wand didn't respond to him at all; it was as if he had no magic channels for it to use. But that wasn't possible. Even when he'd been a baby, he could use wands.

There were more wands in the bedroom. Maybe these two were busted. He ran into the bedroom and seized them.

The wands on the night table didn't respond either. Panic rose within him and he told himself this was perfectly normal, except he knew it wasn't. He knew something had gone horribly wrong and it was his fault. He hyperventilated. There wasn't a Wanda to fix things, there wasn't even a Timmy to stand by him and offer sarcastic advice.

The being smirked in his mind. ((Trapped, little fairy.))

Cosmo fled, running to the one place where he'd found solitude in the last six months. They had a curios room, where they stuffed objects they'd accumulated over the centuries. In it, he located the Mama Cosma bust, with its baleful glowing eyes. Whenever it saw him, it smiled and he relaxed, his worries temporarily forgotten and his mind clouding. That didn't worry him- he didn't like thinking, so anything offering to keep him from it was welcome.

This time, the bust did nothing. The being picked over his memories, rifling through them like files in a cabinet, and pulled out a few, of which he saw glimpses. The bust's magical aura surrounded it and he realized, belatedly, it matched the mental signature he saw from the being (if it could be rightfully called that and not a personification of the dark magic). The bust was, and always had been, evil.

Something laughed derisively at him.

He tried to remember and the being helped. Every time he'd run to the bust in the past, it'd made him feel better and then…

And then he'd felt more and more distant from Wanda. He'd said or done something to hurt her, and felt a grim satisfaction, as their Bond unraveled. But he'd never connected the two before, and the being had.

The being was definitely more intelligent. He could sense cunning, whatever it actually was, or whatever form it actually took. It might be a demon, come to think of it. He shuddered and stared at the bust. He should break it; maybe then he and Wanda would be back to normal.

((I don't think so, little fairy. This could come in very handy.))

"I don't want it to!" he snapped at the voice. He couldn't use telepathy anymore and he gazed sidelong at the bust. Maybe…

((Your desires are noted….but ultimately, unimportant.))

"What…but…" Cosmo sputtered, staring at the bust and thinking of his conversation last night. He shook the wands until he thought the tops would fall off and nothing happened. His chest constricted and he held the wands protectively in front of him, as if they would protect him. Tears sprang to his eyes and he thought he was probably the most scared he'd ever been. He didn't know what happened to fairies that were corrupted. There hadn't been one like that in thousands of years. The last time one had been corrupted, Jorgen had taken it away and…

The one thing that was supposed to help wasn't working. His heart pounded and he felt lightheaded.

"Go away! Go away!" he said.

((Did you really expect something for nothing?)) The something grinned.

* * *

Wanda, curled in a ball to avoid touching the wall and floor more than she had to, experienced a sharp, disconnected headache lancing from temple to temple. It seemed to penetrate through her skull and directly into her brain and she curled tighter, rubbing her temples. If the pain had a name, it'd be "Cosmo", but it didn't make sense, either way, and she wasn't feeling well enough to think about it. Instead, she longed for her wand and her lips quivered.

At nightfall, Doombringer would return for her.


	13. Over and Underhill

Author's Note: I think I'm getting sick. Sorry this update is late. School and not feeling well, you see.

Purple baby cameo courtesy of Poof. Heh, heh. I hope this chapter doesn't suck.

Chapter Thirteen: Over and Underhill

The wand had no effect anymore. He knew they'd recharged them before their capture a day ago (it already felt like months ago) and they ought to respond. The being had ceased speaking, although its attentiveness lingered. Cosmo had the un-shakeable sensation he was being watched and he shuddered, shaking the wands until he thought he was going to wrench his arm out of its socket. His throat constricted; he stuffed the wands in his front pocket and bolted down the hallway.

His hair shouldn't be like this. He shouldn't be watched by a malevolent being that was, even as he ran in a vain attempt to evade it, skimming his memories and selecting ones at random. He couldn't think with the mental invasion and didn't dare stop. He hoped he could outrun it, though it was impossible to outrun what he'd invited in. In the olden times, faeries used to have to be invited inside homes before they could enter. Maybe this was like this. Maybe if he revoked the invitation, the thing had to leave. Maybe once it left, everything would be back to normal. What would Wanda do?

"Go away!" he yelled. "I don't want you here! Go away!"

The being didn't budge an inch.

"Go away! I revoke my invitation! You can't come in here!" he said. His throat's constriction made it harder and harder to speak. "I'll…I'll find cold iron!"

Iron didn't hurt him anymore, but maybe it'd hurt this thing. He didn't have any in the castle, but maybe he could poof some up. He stared at his wand and willed it to produce a horseshoe. It remained limp and he growled, shaking it and ignoring the tears burning the corners of his eyes.

"Go away, go away!" he screamed. "I didn't mean it! I don't want your power! Go away! Leave me alone!"

He tripped and saw in his mind's eye Wanda's hurt and pain every time they fought, back to the very beginning. The being inhaled and its breath rattled in Cosmo's ears; it left him feeling like a shell, lips quivering, and he whimpered. He still had its energy, true, but he no longer had the drive to move. It had fed off his emotions. That was the only possible explanation. And the only creatures that could do that were very bad, very evil things.

"Wanda…" He jumped to his feet. He had to keep this thing from getting to Timmy and Wanda. Feet pounding on the polished floor, he dashed at the drawbridge and shifted into a fish with the wands tucked into the nether space they always went when they weren't needed. Once he reached Timmy and Wanda, he'd give Wanda her wand back and the being would go away.

Cosmo always ran to safety, to protection, and to try to defend what was his. Surely once he reached his family everything would be all right again. Wanda would call him an idiot, Timmy would yell at him, and then it'd be back to the way things were.

* * *

Time passed. Wanda wasn't sure how much exactly, but nightfall must have come. The cold iron resonated in her bones and she barely had enough energy to toss her head from side to side. So much of the mortal world contained iron and she had long since forgotten what it was like to be sensitive to it. Now, to be encased in it and stripped of her protections, she experienced another violent cramp, doubled over, and groaned. Tears prickled her eyes and she missed Cosmo, Timmy, and the fish bowl. Hell, she missed Timmy's parents, if it meant a return to normalcy.

A bright spot appeared and her hands weren't steady enough to raise them to shield her eyes. Doombringer scoffed and, using a fish net, she scooped Wanda out and dumped her on the floor. Wanda heard a grate being moved into place, presumably over her prison, and she panted, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Once free from the prison, the horrible iron no longer affected her and she slowly regained her strength. She lifted her head and stared at her captor.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Oh, now you're willing to work with me," Doombringer said, smiling. Wanda glared. She pushed herself to her feet and swayed, missing her wand. The headache answering to Cosmo continued unabated and she had to wonder what foolish thing her husband had done now. What foolish thing could he be capable of doing while they were all stuck down here?

"Simple exercises tonight, Wandita," Doombringer said and Wanda froze. Juandissimo's nickname for her. A hard little ball formed in her stomach and her insides went cold. This woman should not know anything about them, much less the depth of information she possessed. Doombringer grabbed Wanda by the collar and she saw her fear reflected in the human's eyes. She shut them tightly and shuddered.

"Good," she whispered. "I knew you weren't stupid."

"What do you think I can do after being trapped in a hole all day with iron on every side and a butterfly net?" she hissed. "I haven't eaten-"

"No, but you did throw up," Doombringer scoffed. "Does it hurt, little fairy? _Too bad_."

"People like you are the reason Jorgen wipes minds," she replied. She might have been afraid, but she still had fire in her. Under ordinary circumstances- ah, but these were not ordinary circumstances.

"And people like me are the reason the faerie race almost went extinct in the Middle Ages," Doombringer shot back and Wanda flinched.

"We drove your two courts underground and hunted every last one we could find," she said, smiling insanely. "Unfortunately, the dark powers resonating within your 'anti fairies' were not exactly what we had in mind. They're not the true dark powers we seek."

" 'We'?" Wanda replied. "Who else is working with you?"

Doombringer blinked, brought back from her reverie. "I meant the collective 'we'. My ancestors have always hunted fairies. My uncle told me once about how he had captured a fairy and listened to its screams while he slowly killed it."

Wanda blanched and reached for the wand she didn't have. Doombringer snorted and dumped her back into the fish net, then wrapped it tightly around her. The fish net, like butterfly nets, repelled magic, and Doombringer swung her back and forth as she carried her into another laboratory room. She didn't trouble to keep Wanda from smacking into the door as it slid open.

The small room was equipped with a table upon which Doombringer dumped the fairy, a single chair, and two glass panes. Puzzled, Wanda rolled over in the net and stared at them. They didn't reflect her; one showed her anti self and the other showed a baby with purple eyes and hair. Upon closer inspection, the baby waved at her and then vanished, giggling.

Doombringer wasn't watching. She had walked into an adjoining room and set up a projector, which displayed an apple on the blank wall above Wanda's head. Doombringer huffed, heels clicking on the floor, and removed the net. Free of it, she looked around; aside from the small inset door and the one from which they had entered, there were no other entrances into the room. Where the projector had a tiny insert, there was also what looked like a double-sided mirror. This prompted Wanda to look again at the second glass pane, identical to the first, and the baby resurfaced. Wanda's heart ached and she wasn't sure why.

"Your goal for tonight is to conjure something from either the projector or the glass panes into reality," Doombringer said. "It need not last longer than a few minutes. The very act of creating is it all you must do."

Wanda barked a humorless laugh. "I don't know how to do that."

"You shifted without a wand," Doombringer said and smiled maliciously. "You changed Cosmo's form without one either. Figure it out."

Doombringer retreated behind the second door and Wanda tried to dispel distracting thoughts, like wishing she could blast Doombringer into the wall. The baby wouldn't be helpful and she didn't want to bring it, if it were real and not a desperate figment of her imagination, into this room. Her anti self was also dangerous, in a controlled stupidity way, and she didn't want Doombringer to grab any other fairies, light or dark.

The projector had switched from an apple to Timmy's fish bowl. Wanda's stomach turned and she set her lips obstinately. This time, she cast her gaze upon the glass panes and hoped for a better resolution.

Cosmo was running in the panes and she jumped, startled. "Oh, oh my…"

"What is it?" Doombringer snarled. The panes were no longer showing her abstract pictures. Cosmo was actually dashing through the Turners' household and upending Timmy's mom in a quest to get to the door. In a dog form, his fur had black highlights and his tail had a black tip. For a split second, he looked up and straight at her.

"Cosmo…" she breathed.

She wanted him, but she didn't want him here. Unfortunately, she was now drawn to the pane and couldn't look away. Her fingers splayed on each side and she thought of the scrying glass, an old magick trick they'd ceased years ago. It occasionally resurfaced- as it had when Timmy wished he lived at the carnival and they had given him the mirror.

A shadow surrounded his body and mixed with his aura. Cosmo, usually light and good, had a bright green aura projecting warmth and vitality. The warmth was breaking down and moments where he ought to be sure of himself, he faltered and the shadows amassed. Every time he stopped, the darkness eclipsing him intensified and her heart clenched.

"Cosmo, no!" she cried involuntarily and Doombringer was at her shoulder.

"I can't _see _anything," Doombringer snarled.

Wanda realized what Cosmo had not. Her whole body tensed and she snapped, "You idiot! Don't bring it _here_!"

"What the hell are you seeing?" Doombringer snarled and grabbed the glass. In her hands, it went blank. Doombringer froze, stared at the mirror and then at Wanda, and flung the pane carelessly upon the floor. It remained intact and Doombringer glared.

"You've failed," she said. "I know you saw something and you kept him from me."

Shaking, terrified Cosmo had been corrupted and worried what the being might do to them, she barely registered the woman's words. Her teeth chattered and she hugged herself. Doombringer scooped her back up into the net and tied it tightly.

"Juandissimo will be disappointed," Doombringer snapped. She slammed Wanda into the wall on the way out and she saw double. Wanda's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't notice Doombringer dumping her back into her prison or the sensation of hot pokers slamming into her skin. In her mind's eye, all she could see was Cosmo, darkness eating away his beautiful light powers, and rushing to the enemy to bring her exactly what she wanted.


	14. Take One for the Team

Author's Note: "If you're Cupid, then I wanna be the Easter Bunny. I love eggs!" "Cosmo, focus!"

I think that quote pretty much sums up Cosmo this chapter. Oy. And hey, sympathetic Timmy. Sort of.

Chapter Fourteen: Take One for the Team

Make no mistake- Juandissimo knew exactly where Wanda was. Doombringer couldn't withhold such crucial information, no matter how badly she wanted to conceal it. Unfortunately, the Dark Crystal prevented him from removing the lid and extracting his beloved. It had restored his weakness to iron and Juandissimo could only watch through a monitor as Wanda shuddered and moaned, sweat beading on her forehead and her body cocooned as if this along would prevent the iron from touching her. Juandissimo's stomach cramped in sympathy and he thought of her and Remy, prisoners of Doombringer's brigade.

One of the few fairies she had possessing a wand, he used it to transport himself to her. She was standing outside, puffing away on a small cigarette, and absently stroking a half-breed fairy in wolf form beside her. The creature's tarnished broken crown was barely visible under the moonlight and Juandissimo contained a hiss. Half-breeds rubbed him the wrong way, like they did almost the entirety of Fairy World. That was why they were banned. And this one luxuriated in Doombringer's attention; he raised his head to receive her idle scratching and whacked his tail against the smooth cement. Juandissimo scoffed. Disgusting.

The outside of the compound was bland and uninteresting. It looked like an abandoned warehouse, broken down and falling apart, and they were on the cement where the sidewalk used to be. The sidewalk was now cracked and weeds littered the spaces in between. There were cigarette butts, beer cans, and used condom wrappers a few feet away; the teenagers used to use this as a copulating place before Doombringer chased them away. Again, Juandissimo shuddered, glad he normally contended with children and not malcontents.

He shifted into a wolf and waited for her to acknowledge him. The baleful Dark Crystal lay, exposed, on her chest, and his ears pinned back. Seeing it made him want to kowtow to her, when his purpose here was anything but.

"Yes?" she said sharply. "What is it?"

"While Wanda is…" he paused, wanting to phrase this delicately, "currently under supervision and Remy has been removed-"

"You still want to save them," Doombringer said, cutting his attempt short. "I told you. When Wanda behaves, you can have her back."

"She is not a prize to be won," he snapped and the half-breed at her side growled warningly at Juandissimo. Juandissimo bared his teeth.

"She is a dog to be brought to heel," Doombringer retorted and smirked. "An appropriate analogy, given the circumstances and your current form."

"You will kill her," he snapped.

"What I do with her is none of your concern," Doombringer said. "You let her husband escape."

"Normally, Cosmo is too stupid to rub two rocks together," he said. "Let alone tunnel his way out."

"You have the audacity to ask me to free Wanda when you failed me once today?" he said. "And Wanda has failed me again?"

"What did Wanda-" he started and she slammed her boot heel down on Juandissimo's head. He heard a distinct crack and his eyes watered in pain. Grabbing his wand, he healed himself and she scoffed. It took a lot more than usual to hurt a fairy seriously, which he knew she knew.

"I should put you in an iron cage too," she said. "Punish you for thinking you have the right to order me around."

Juandissimo hastily backpedaled. "I am not saying you do not rule the roost. I am questioning whether it is prudent to continually weaken someone you want strong when she may be too weak to accomplish what you want."

"No," she said. "You don't fool me. Wanda could still do what I wanted and she chose not to. Just like you choose to ignore who's really in control here."

"I know you are," he said and was displeased to discover himself whining. She glared at him and he tucked his tail in between his legs. He looked up at her and whined again. "But you do not have to be this cruel."

"I allowed Wanda one reprieve," she snapped. "And I let you let Cosmo slip through my fingers."

"He's returning, you know," he said. "He won't let Wanda go. Wanda and Timmy are-"

"I'm not an idiot," she interrupted. "Fail me once more, Juandissimo, and it'll be on Wanda's and Remy's heads. I'm losing my patience."

"What is it you want me to do?" he said.

"Capture Crocker," she said. "I don't want to experiment on him and I certainly can't use him as a person. I want to milk him dry."

Juandissimo hesitated. He only knew about Crocker through his brief eavesdropping near Cosmo, Wanda, and Timmy. From what he knew, Crocker alternated between being a mad genius and being a mad idiot. It seemed to depend on the day of the week. If he were a mad genius, he was truly dangerous.

His hesitation must have shown on his face because she kicked him over and pressed her heel into his throat.

"Do this or Wanda and Remy will learn there are worse fates than death," she hissed.

* * *

Cosmo rushed through the streets with the black spectre hovering over him. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him and ignored any random person he happened to crash into. The moon was high overhead and it was later than he thought. How much time had he spent in the castle? How much longer until this damn thing was gone from him? His teeth chattered.

Wanda would know what to do. She'd take her wand, remove the being, and they'd escape and live happily ever after. He wasn't leading the being to her. He was destroying it. Yeah, that made perfect sense. He wasn't endangering his wife and his godson. He was making things better.

It occurred to him he didn't know his way back. The being was silent, although amused, and Cosmo stared wildly around him. Up until now, he'd reacted on instinct and let blind fear lead the way. But if he couldn't find his family, it wouldn't matter how worried he was. All the streets looked the same and all the buildings crowded together in the dark.

((Wanda?))

There was no response and he remembered their telepathy was down, perhaps for good if the bust's hex destroyed their Bond. Plus, she wasn't anywhere near him; she might not even be capable of receiving him wherever she was. However, their telepathy was what he usually fell back on. When in doubt, contact Wanda and find the answer. It was the staple of their marriage. Wanda was the rock and Cosmo leaned on her all the time. She was stable and dependable. And now what? He was supposed to depend on himself?

A wave of fear washed over him so powerful that he dropped on all fours in the middle of the sidewalk. Wanda helped him figure things out. Wanda solved all life's difficulties for him. Wanda fixed his messes. Wanda wasn't here. Cosmo was alone, all alone. He had managed to fend off the insecurity and terror earlier, but it was swallowing him again. He couldn't use his magic to reach Wanda and Timmy, because the wands wouldn't work in his hands. He was adrift without magic or aid. And now he was corrupted because he'd taken help from the wrong source.

"Huh, a weird green dog," a familiar voice said. "It looks familiar."

Cosmo jerked his head and looked up. Vicky stared back at him. Adrenaline shot through him and he jumped to his feet and growled. Vicky stared at him. He couldn't think beyond the terror engulfing his mind.

"Don't you normally have a pink sidekick?" Vicky said.

Cosmo couldn't speak. He gawked at her and she sighed.

"You're Timmy's," she said.

He yelped and wanted to run, but his legs didn't cooperate.

"If he hadn't gone missing, I could hold you for ransom," she said. "But I don't know where he is."

His ears were pinned back and his tail was tucked underneath him. Vicky walked around him and frowned, stroking her chin.

"I bet Tootie would like you if you're the twerp's dog," she said. "But I don't know where Tootie is either. Hmm.

"If I take you home, I'd have to feed you and then I'd waste more money," she said. "And there's no point in holding you ransom if no one's going to pay me. But…"

"But what?" Cosmo squeaked.

She knelt down and stared into his eyes. "I might hate the twerp, but I don't hate animals."

Cosmo heaved a sigh. Maybe he was safe. He grinned happily at her.

"But I do like getting them fixed," she said and grinned from ear to ear. Cosmo howled.

* * *

"No wonder you don't have godparents," Timmy said. Tootie scoffed.

"Rub it in, why don't you?" she said.

"That must suck," he said.

"Gee, you think?" she retorted. She rubbed her arms. "I hope Cosmo's okay."

"Knowing him he probably did something stupid to jeopardize us all," Timmy said. "But he should be back by now."

"I wish I remembered them," she said. She blushed. "I mean, I wish I remembered them as my godparents."

"Instead of spying on them as mine," Timmy snapped.

"I wonder if they loved me…"

Growing uncomfortable, both with the conversation and Cosmo's prolonged absence, he stretched and glanced at where the tunnel had been. Why the hell hadn't Cosmo thought of him and let him go too? Now they were alone and without magic, unless you bought the load of bull Doombringer said about them absorbing it. If kids had magic, why would they need godparents?

"You think our parents are looking for us?" Tootie said. In a flat voice, she added, "I bet Vicky scared my parents off of looking for me."

"I dunno," Timmy said and shuddered. "I don't know if my parents even noticed I was gone."

"Of course they did," Tootie said. "Just because they're really selfish and childish sometimes doesn't mean they don't love you. I know they love you."

"That doesn't mean they noticed I was gone," he pointed out. "They could have been off on one of their business trips and forgot about me."

In a quiet voice, she said, "At least my parents don't forget about me."

"Good for you," he said.

"Maybe that's why you got Cosmo and Wanda after me," she said. "You needed them to love you."

It was a sobering thought and one, like her previous statement, that didn't sit well with him. He knew, deep down, that Cosmo and Wanda probably cared for him more than his real parents, but he never acknowledged that part. It scared him to think the creatures who cared more about him than anything else would have to leave him one day and he'd forget all about them. Like Tootie had.

He glanced at her. What was it like to have a whole chunk of your history written over? If Doombringer was right, which Timmy doubted, could Tootie suddenly start remembering Cosmo and Wanda? Could Crocker? Were the mind wipes less permanent than Jorgen thought?

It alternatively filled him with hope and made him uneasy. He didn't want Doombringer to monopolize on Fairy World's mistakes and hurt Cosmo and Wanda, even if being able to trigger the memories might mean he wouldn't have his childhood rewritten.


	15. With a Fairy, Hand in Hand

Author's Note: School kicked my ass and then I was prepared to write this update over the weekend, only to discover my laptop at home needs intensive care.

The full quote, courtesy of Yeats, is, "Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand." I felt it appropriate for this chapter.

Chapter Fifteen: With a Fairy, Hand in Hand

High overhead, the full moon cast an eerie glow over the psychotic teacher's house. Juandissimo hesitated, staring at its derelict condition. From the sidewalk, he sensed power and a lesser being might have turned back. Doombringer had made his senses acute and he was aware of the stakes here. By 'collecting' Crocker, he was dooming him probably to death. Juandissimo stiffened. As much as the Dark Crystal was corrupting him and he wanted to rescue Remy and Wanda, he wasn't sure he could condemn a human to death. The hairs stood on his back and he sensed half-breeds lurking. Of course- she'd sent her goons to keep an eye on him.

He waved his wand and cloaked himself, presenting an illusion fairy traps would miss. Aware of the gaze upon him, he headed for the house. He could save Wanda and Remy and ensure Crocker didn't die. Yes, he was adding to an already full plate, but Doombringer had only told him to capture Crocker. She had said nothing about allowing her to proceed unimpeded, although it might have been implied.

He pictured Wanda strapped to an examination table and whined, hairs rising on his arms. Wanda injured because of him would destroy him. Even if he loved himself more than anyone else, he loved her as much as possible, barring his narcissism. He was his own sun and she was the stars.

He crept toward the house, squeezed his wand, and appeared inside Crocker's bedroom. The creeping had been for show, since the half-breeds couldn't always transport themselves around using wands.

Once inside the room, he stared at the human Doombringer wanted so badly. This was the first time he'd been face to face with him and, at first glance, he wasn't much. He could use a moisturizer, a good facial cleanser, decent hair care products, a chiropractor, and cosmetic surgery to remove his ears from his neck. Juandissimo shuddered. For someone teeming with unused magic (which usually manifested itself as bad luck, from what Doombringer had told him), he certainly could use a magical makeover. The man practically oozed grease in his sleep.

Hidden deep in the recesses of his subconscious, too remote for Crocker to access, contained his memories of Cosmo and Wanda. Fairy World liked to believe they removed all traces, but Juandissimo knew from experience they didn't. He scrutinized Crocker and hoped seeing Wanda wouldn't bring the memories back, because the last thing Doombringer wanted was another surprise. It might induce her to hurt Wanda and Remy.

"Fairy," Crocker said and bolted upright. Juandissimo, hidden by his cloaking spell, floated above the human's chest. Crocker inhaled, shook his head from side to side, and frowned, rubbing his temples.

"I whiffed a fairy," he said. "I know I did."

He sneezed and wiped his nostrils with his hand. Juandissimo grimaced. He could now add 'poor manners' to the list of non attributes.

How did one bag a human, anyway? He contemplated it a second longer before producing a burlap sack and shoving Crocker inside. To Crocker, who couldn't see Juandissimo, it probably looked like the thin air was attacking him.

"Mother! Mother, I'm being kidnapped!" he cried. Juandissimo froze, cursing himself for not gagging him first, and conjured up a gag after the fact. The air hung with tension and he waited for Crocker's mother to arrive on the scene. He knew nothing about their relationship, since the details had bored Doombringer.

"Go to sleep, Denzel!" his mother snapped and Juandissimo smirked. He waited a second longer, to see if anything else happened, but there were no further outbursts.

Waving his wand, he brought Crocker back to the warehouse. There, one task completed and it was almost too easy. Then again, who really cared what happened to Crocker as long as he wasn't in someone's hair?

* * *

Fear gave him an extra shot of adrenaline and he bolted past Vicky, with the red head in hot pursuit. He barreled around corners, lost his sense of direction completely, and ignored anything and everything he stepped into or crashed through. The being continued its surveillance, only once in a while prompting him to avoid random shadowy figures in his path. Cosmo took the advice without thinking, much like he did everything else, and tried to tune out Vicky's shrieks.

"Come back here, damn you!" she snapped. "I need to get you fixed!"

"No, you don't!" Cosmo called back, forgetting as a dog he couldn't talk. If the being could have slapped his palm to his forehead, he would have. As it was, he sensed mild disapproval and amusement, like Cosmo was a new toy that wasn't performing like it said on the box.

"Ooh, a talking dog," Vicky said and he could hear the glee. "I wonder what you'd say when you lost your balls."

"Um, I'd really like to keep them?" Cosmo called back over his shoulder and leapt over something, stumbled, and righted himself. He was tracking in a thick, unpleasant substance but didn't know what it was. In whatever bare thoughts passed through his mind, he hoped he could get back to Wanda and Timmy.

"Hey, a talking dog," Vicky said after a moment's pause. "Maybe I should keep you and use you as a freak attraction."

She snickered.

He had to lose her somewhere, but he didn't know where he was. The being rolled its metaphysical eyes and pointed due east. Cosmo, running on autopilot, took the being's directions at their word and launched himself in that direction. There was a brief sensation of weightlessness and then Cosmo yelped, beginning to fall.

"What the hell?" Vicky screamed and Cosmo clawed furiously, only there was nothing to grab onto. His stomach vanished and returned to him a minute later when he crashed into cement. Groaning, he righted himself and sniffed, then wished he hadn't.

Surrounding him was dimly lit darkness, with the occasional bulb set at intervals to prevent him from wandering around helplessly. Running water coursed by his right side and the stench filling his nostrils was noxious. It smelled like rotten sewage, mixed with garbage, and both sewage and garbage had been left out in the summer sun for a few days. Cosmo gagged and, again rolling its eyes, the being removed his sense of smell. It ought to bother him this unknown creature, probably a demon, had so much control over his body. It ought to, but Cosmo was never one to think things through. Yet again, that particular function belonged to Wanda.

((Head straight. Turn when I tell you to.))

It was using telepathy, the most sacred of connections, and, for a moment, Cosmo faltered. Wanda could speak to him mind-to-mind, or used to be able to, but that was a function reserved for-

The being sighed, a prolonged affair, annoyed with his inaction. ((Vicky will discover your whereabouts sooner or later. Move.))

Then came the weird, unpleasant feeling of a mental hand moving through the memory folders in his mind and poking and prodding. He saw, for a split second, images of Vicky and heard her voice echo. The feeling vanished, he shook his head but was unable to clear it, and whined, his tail thumping.

((Stupid beast. Move.))

Uncertainty crept into his mind. ((You're not going to hurt my family, are you?))

((No…)) the being replied, drawing it out not as if this was unthinkable, but as if he hadn't contemplated it yet. His next words were ponderous. ((Why would I do that?))

((I don't know…)) Cosmo whined again and tucked his tail in between his legs. In the middle of the sewer, he plopped down on the ground and quivered.

((Move or I will move you.)) There was a sharp spike behind his eyes and for a moment, a red lance flashed in his vision. Then his legs rose, independent of the cowering Cosmo wanted, and he stood again.

((Move.))

You could make a case of arguing with the voices in your head, except this one wasn't going to accept a debate. It was either move or be moved.

* * *

She thought she couldn't think of anything else cramped in a ball with poison running through her veins. She had assumed she'd spend her time imprisoned fairly thoughtless, rather like Cosmo. Her lips twisted. That might have been the case, if the training her father had given her years ago hadn't kicked in.

The training hadn't kept her from mouthing off to Doombringer, to her lament, but it should help her transition herself out of this wretched hole. Her father hadn't intended it to work in an iron pit and she had to push past the agony to separate her mind from her body. The pain was here, it was immediate, and it demanded acknowledgment. However, there was a tie there she could break, if she found the proper tools.

Fumbling, since she was long out of practice, she focused on the past. She remembered the way Cosmo had stroked her face and they had curled up next to each other in a Fairy World meadow when they were much younger. The mental image was hazy and a sharp, anguishing cramp wrenched it away. Already doubled over, she opened her eyes and saw her arms' bare skin touching the net was starting to bleed. Swallowing rapidly, telling herself nothing would be accomplished if she panicked, she stared at the sparkling red blood.

What would Big Daddy do if he were stuck in this situation? She couldn't remember. A lump rose in her throat and she heaved, only to produce spittle. To her red tainted vision, it seemed the spittle had blood in it and she shuddered, recoiling from it only to rub against the butterfly net. Was the butterfly net full of iron now and that was why it was cutting into her? Or was it an illusion? The new throbbing certainly felt real, but Doombringer seemed like the type to play mind tricks. She had promised she'd punish Wanda for "lying to her" earlier.

Like earlier, she cast for the dark power, if only to escape, but was too weak to do anything but sink back against the butterfly net. Tears streaked her cheeks and she sniffled. It had been millennia since she had felt this alone and powerless, not since…

Another horrific cramp seized her stomach and she groaned, a slave to the pain.

"Cosmo…" she whispered. Where had he gone now?

* * *

Remy Buxaplenty was many things. Patient, however, he was not. It was thankful his progress was visible, because if it weren't, he would have given up by now. His head ached and his body felt hot, like it was radiating warmth at an alarming rate. He wiped sweat off his forehead and sneered. Sweating was for the hoi polloi, the ignorant masses, not for a rich boy.

"Dissimo?" he called, hoping against hope his fairy godfather would appear and rescue him.

The hole wasn't large enough to escape, but he could fit his arm through it. Unfortunately, the physical exertion made him disinclined to see if the wall would collapse through yanking his arm through. Also unfortunately, Remy was tired, hungry, dizzy, and pissed. No one ever treated him like this. No one ever subjected him to this.

Swaying from side to side, he forced himself to the hole and snarled, shoving his arm through. The wall crumbled an inch on either side and, frustrated, Remy slammed his head into it. Other than increasing his headache, there was no evidence it had done anything. Heat surged through his body and he thought about Juandissimo, his uncertain feelings toward his godfather, and how abandoned he felt. Normally, he felt lonely, but Juandissimo took that away. And now…

Feeling like his eyes would burn out of their sockets, he screamed and glared at the wall. In his mind's eye, he saw Doombringer holding Juandissimo away from him and taunting him. Tears dripped down his cheeks and fell, unnoticed, down his dirty shirt lapel. Pure rage was an unusual reaction for someone who was supposed to be cultured, but he was too drained to give a damn.

With a final surge of whatever strange power had enabled him to mar the wall, he shoved outward, pushing the energy into the wall and driving it with all his willpower through the hole he had begun. White rained in his vision and he staggered, collapsed onto his rear, and stared, unable to process his surroundings for a few seconds. His breath caught in his throat and his elbows gave out, leaving him to lie with his head against the filthy floor. No energy left to complain about it or even move, he listened to his heart pound in his ears.

Plaster fell and he groaned. He didn't have anything left in him to blame Turner. Coughing, he rested there and waited for Doombringer to arrive. Whether he'd succeeded or failed, at least today would be over. It had felt like an unremitting nightmare.

Unlike Wanda, he had no difficulty picturing a reassuring memory. His parents weren't nourishing, so his mind naturally flew to Juandissimo. Cradling him in his arms, Juandissimo had read him a true story about how his good looks had saved the day. To Dissimo, he showed a side he dared not show to the world. It was weakness and his parents had taught him the world exploits weakness.

The world was just like Doombringer. Should Doombringer know exactly how much he valued Juandissimo…his throat constricted until he had trouble breathing. He was always someone's pawn. Damn it, he missed Dissimo.


	16. A Million Little Pieces

Author's Note: It feels too easy for Juandissimo to locate Crocker and Cosmo, but then again, fairies don't seem to have a problem locating each other when they actually try (as opposed to Timmy driving aimlessly around Fairy World in a season seven ep).

Sorry for the delay in updating. School has been kicking my ass. Thanksgiving break means I should be able to get my updates on time next week.

Chapter Sixteen: A Million Little Pieces

Timmy fell asleep curled up on the floor and Tootie watched him breathe steadily in, out, in, out. Her heart ached and she pulled him into her lap. In the morning, she'd deal with his disgust. She stroked his hair and thought about the mental block she'd had for as long as she could remember. If she had possessed Cosmo and Wanda in the past and couldn't remember it, Fairy World had done a poor job erasing them. Rather than rewriting her past and replacing the incidents, she amassed a headache trying to pinpoint the blurry details on certain details. Usually the headache deterred her; she didn't have any time to break through the pain to figure out why it was happening or discover what was beyond it. Now, she had nothing but time. Watching Timmy sleep was a gift and, as horrible as the thought was, she was actually safer here than at home. Doombringer wasn't Vicky and she wasn't particularly interested in Tootie right now. Tootie was free to see how far she could push herself.

Shutting her eyes, she concentrated on her eighth birthday. Vicky had ruined her cake, stomped on all her presents, and forced her to clean out the toilets and the basement as punishment for being born. Those events were clear, but then she'd gone up to her bedroom and everything from there had a dreamlike insubstantiality. She projected herself into the past and thought about why she'd started accumulating wands. She'd liked playing princess, except princesses didn't have wands. And hadn't she always been obsessed with fairies? Most little girls liked unicorns (a few strange ones liked dragons) and she'd been desperate to find fairy things, including fairy men. Contrary to popular belief, it really was hard to find anything combining fairy and men, unless you, ahem, looked in a very adult area.

Most little girls could also pinpoint the moment their obsession grew. Tootie couldn't. She imagined her room, herself sobbing and inconsolable, and pain spiked behind her eyes. Hissing, she fought it and thought harder, picturing her surroundings. The air near her wavered in the memory and she placed Cosmo and Wanda in there, the way she'd seen them interact with Timmy. Pain exploded behind her eyes and she screamed, probably waking Timmy. It felt like her head should start bleeding, just to relieve pressure, and she trembled.

"What? What's going on?" he said groggily and she barely heard him. Curled into a ball, she bit the inside of her lip and blood filled her mouth. Determined now and irritated at the blatant brainwashing, she projected Cosmo and Wanda again into her memory and saw a phantom hand touch her shoulder. Maybe this would have encouraged her to push herself further, if the resulting pain hadn't come close to knocking her out. She thought her head might split from the agony and she whimpered, tasting blood and shaking like someone had electrocuted her.

For a while, time indeterminate, she drifted, waiting for the pain to abate. She couldn't say conclusively whether she had had Cosmo and Wanda and been forced to forget about them because the pain was so intense, along with the sheer difficulty of pushing past the false memory to the true one, that she was lost. It might have been some other fairy, for all she knew. It might not have been a fairy at all. Maybe she'd taken too many blows to the head then and it was a trigger. Except Vicky had never actually hit her…

When Tootie recovered enough to stagger into a crouching position, she vomited in a thin stream, whimpered, and cried. Shaking, she thought she'd try one last jab through the pain. If this didn't work, she'd cry off and wait until morning while she recovered.

She latched onto the phantom hand and filled in the details from what she'd seen of Timmy's fairies. Cosmo's face swam before her closed eyes.

"_What if we turned her into a rabid monkey? Then she could-_" Cosmo's voice started and then stopped in her mind and it felt like someone had beaten her with a mace. Curling into a tight ball, she screamed and lashed out, doing anything to make the damn pain stop. Blood flooded her mouth and she coughed, choking on it. Timmy slapped her on the back and she spat it out, screamed again, and sobbed. Was this the secret to Fairy World erasing memories? They just made it so painful no child in their right mind would try to think about it?

"What do I do? What do I do?" Timmy said. She threw up again and hugged herself. In the past, she'd had no one to depend on. If Cosmo and Wanda were her fairy godparents, then she must have relied on them. In the present, her parents were too afraid of Vicky.

"Are you okay?" Timmy said. With the mind numbing pain she was going through, she couldn't respond. She couldn't even bring herself to think about any birthdays, let alone her eighth. And thinking about Cosmo and Wanda? Forget about it. The colors pink and green were likely to send her into renewed anguish. It was good the lighting in here was awful and she couldn't see Timmy's shirt.

"Tootie?" he said. "I don't get it…there's nothing here. What happened?"

She didn't answer. She hoped she hadn't bitten her tongue. Her mouth tasted awful. It felt like someone had pressed a brand to her brain.

"Tootie? You're starting to freak me out," he said. "I mean, you usually freak me out, but now you're kinda worse."

If she felt marginally better, she might have laughed. She couldn't even open her eyes. Maybe she had had Cosmo and Wanda before. It didn't seem like there was any way she could use that knowledge or the power Doombringer seemed to think went with it if it every time she tried, she wound up wishing she were dead because the pain was so intense.

"Answer me!" he said. "Tootie!"

Willing her body to relax, her mind snapped back to the phantom hand on her shoulder and Cosmo's words. It pissed her off that the only time she might have been happy she couldn't remember. What was wrong with Fairy World? Why would children betray having godparents to make themselves more miserable in exchange? Even if they lost them, they wouldn't sell out fairies when they'd meant so much. Or were children so common a commodity it didn't matter how miserable most of them were without fairies? They had been hers, hadn't they? She'd never sell them out if they belonged to her.

Water splashed in her face and she sputtered, eyelids fluttering.

"Oh, good, you're alive," he said.

"If I weren't alive, I wouldn't be breathing," she rasped.

"And you can talk too!" he said. She had no energy to slap her palm to her forehead, even if she really wanted to. The lame leading the blind.

"What happened?" he asked again. The energy required to snap at him before had sapped the little reserve she had and she sighed, uncoiling her body.

"Tootie?" he repeated. Her lips twitched. That was the most times she'd ever heard him speak her name and not launch a water balloon at her.

* * *

Juandissimo dumped Crocker in front of Doombringer. She was in the middle of working on the computer and looked up at him. The office was small, with a desk pushed up against the left wall and a desktop on it. Beside the desk was a bookcase and behind them was a couch. There wasn't enough room for two people to stand side by side in the room. On the right was a grungy window that looked out on the docks. Due to the space limitations, Crocker in his knapsack was crushed between Doombringer's chair and the couch.

"I've brought you Crocker," Juandissimo said coolly, eying the Dark Crystal with distaste. "I want to see Remy or Wanda. Now."

"Don't you remember? You failed me," Doombringer said. "This was to prevent them from being hurt. Just because you succeeded at one task means you get rewarded. In fact, you sound like you're getting cocky to me. Maybe I should hurt them to teach you a lesson about ordering me around."

"I brought you Crocker!" he objected. "You said you would not harm them-"

"If you brought him to me," she agreed. "Except you brought him back with an attitude problem. I could have sent a half breed to bring him back and they would have succeeded and been grateful for the opportunity."

She tossed Crocker onto the couch and stared at Juandissimo, floating in front of the door.

"Should I make them scream so loud you can hear them?" she said. Her eyes glittered with malice and his stomach somersaulted.

"You are never going to let me see them again, are you?" he said. She laughed and changed the screen to a small video feed inside the butterfly net. Wanda was curled up into a ball and her right arm was bleeding profusely, the blood glittering on camera. Juandissimo's mouth dried out and Doombringer pressed a function button on the keyboard. The butterfly net shrank and balled her up like a used tissue paper, bounced her around, and then an iron hand patted her hair. Wanda moaned and her scalp bled, little droplets coating her pink hair.

Doombringer hit another button and Juandissimo saw Remy for the first time in days. The blond haired boy was unconscious, wheezing and fidgeting. There was an enormous hole in the wall and Doombringer gasped and then made an appreciative 'ooh'.

"He succeeded," she said. "He's not worthless after all. One out of two isn't bad."

"What are you talking about?" Juandissimo said. His voice was rough and his hands were shaking. He longed to grab Remy and run for the hills. Seeing him so vulnerable brought out Juandissimo's protective side.

"I can use him," she said. She clicked another button and showed Wanda, panting, curled up in a ball. "It's a shame about Wanda. I thought living for thousands of years might have given faeries an ounce of common sense."

She switched back to Remy. "Tomorrow we begin his testing. Make yourself useful, Juandissimo, and locate Cosmo."

Protests flooded his mind and he had to force them back. He was damned no matter what he did. If he declined, Doombringer would hurt Wanda and Remy worse than she already had. If he agreed, she might leave Remy alone because she wanted him intact. He couldn't save both of them unless they both agreed to help her and even then, he didn't know exactly what she had in store for them. He couldn't get near Wanda's butterfly net without getting sick himself. He bit back a whimper.

"Locate Cosmo and I promise I'll leave Wanda alone," she said.

"Like you promised you would not hurt Wanda and Remy?" he hissed.

"Something like that, yes," she said and smiled cruelly. Juandissimo glared and stared at his beloved.

"How long do I have?" he asked. Maybe he could locate the butterfly net first and try to rescue Wanda.

"Less time if you keep staring at Wanda like a bitch in heat," Doombringer snapped. Juandissimo stiffened, inclined his head, and disappeared back into Dimmsdale. He didn't think he could stand speaking to her again. Wanda's predicament was seared into his mind and he'd do anything to cleanse himself, even if it meant dealing with Cosmo.

Changing into a dog, he followed the trail of magic. Unfortunately, tonight there was magic all over the city, mostly relating to half breeds. Fairies could sense each other and usually, this was a neutral power they didn't invoke. Right now, he could sense several other fairies in Dimmsdale not within Doombringer's grasp, half breeds making a ruckus and what felt like a contaminated fairy running amuck throughout the city. Puzzled, Juandissimo followed the path of least resistance and decided to find the contaminated fairy. It didn't 'feel' like Cosmo to him- it felt like a brilliantly light, good hearted fairy had been overrun by the darkness, but this fairy was on the run. It might know something.

"Stupid fucking dog," a familiar voice grumbled and tripped over him. Icky Vicky straightened herself out and glared at Juandissimo. "What the hell? Is it _raining _dogs now? You better not be a talking one too."

"If I were talking, I would certainly not be talking to the likes of you," Juandissimo said, tongue in cheek. Vicky gaped at him and he took advantage of her confusion to continue the trail. His stomach ached from catching Vicky's foot and he knew it would be a while until Vicky worked out what he'd said and what had actually happened.

A dog yelped in pain and he pursued it, the cloud of darkness growing around Dimmsdale. Normally, it was a bright and cheerful city. He couldn't help but wonder how much, if not all, of this was Doombringer's fault.

Deciding it was faster to transport himself to the fairy, he held up his wand and disappeared, reappearing near the outskirts of town. From here, it was about a thirty minute walk to the docks and the dog, green with spots of black, was running in circles in a blind panic. He heard a telepathic buzz (he could never listen in, because he didn't have telepathy without a true love) and advanced, knocking the fairy in disguise off his feet so he could stop running around. The dog's eyes locked onto him and Juandissimo stepped back.

"Cosmo?" he said.

Cosmo shook his head and his tail thumped on the ground. There were a few buildings ready for demolition nearby and under the moonlight, they looked haunted.

"Have you seen Wanda?" he said.

"No, you are not Cosmo?" Juandissimo said, frowning at him. "But I know you are."

"I can't find Wanda," Cosmo said. "And there's this weird…" he jerked his head at a vague shadow hanging over him.

He huffed and stared at him. "What have you done?"


	17. Bad Choices Made Easy

Author's Note: I had more time, but I haven't felt like writing and I'm sorry. I hope you guys like the update, nonetheless. Please read and review!

In honor of a very disturbing and very Jhonen Vasquez video, we have this title. It's called The Left Rights- White on msivideo's channel, if you're curious and you know the type of stuff he produces.

Chapter Seventeen: Bad Choices Made Easy

Cosmo hinged on desperation. "I don't know what you're talking about. Do you know where she is? I can't find her or Timmy and I was supposed to do something. I don't remember what."

Juandissimo suppressed a groan. The taint burned the back of his throat and he examined Cosmo closely. In his mouth he clasped two wands and neither of them responded to his innate magic. The taint must have gone too deep. There was a way to remove it, but it required visiting Fairy World, a luxury closed to Cosmo at the moment and not one Juandissimo would willingly indulge it in to help his rival. He had to keep Cosmo from reaching Wanda before he spread the taint; it traveled through Bonds, no matter how tattered their Bond might be at the moment.

"You got quiet!" Cosmo said. "What's going on? What happened?"

"You are a menace to everyone around you," he said and grimaced. "Wanda is not here. You should cease looking for her."

Cosmo shook his head and Juandissimo scrutinized his eyes. A chill went through him. It wasn't that Cosmo had disregarded his question before. It was that Cosmo didn't recognize him. There was no flicker of recollection in those eyes.

"I can't," he said. "There's something after me and she can stop it. She can get rid of it. She always does stuff like that. She always takes care of me."

A shadow amassed around Cosmo and baleful red eyes glared at Juandissimo. It disappeared back into Cosmo and he sensed waiting, as if determining what threat he posed to its purpose. Cosmo quivered, panting in anxiety and his big green eyes, flecked with black, pleaded with him.

"You know where she is," he said. "You can take me to her. You gotta help."

Juandissimo thought fast. The last place he wanted to bring Cosmo was back to contaminate Wanda. However, if he foisted Cosmo onto someone else, Doombringer would be angry with him for shirking his duty and harm either Remy or Wanda. He sighed and shuddered, wondering which would be the least ruinous. Remy showed promise- Doombringer wouldn't strike out at him when she had a plan. Wanda, well, how much more could be done without permanently injuring her? He hated to think like that…

Cosmo barked at him and he gritted his teeth. He needed to make a decision and stop thinking about it.

Producing his wand, he pointed it squarely at Cosmo. Cosmo gawked at him.

"What…what are you doing?" he said.

"You are not safe for Wandita or Timmy," he said. Fairy spells didn't need to be precise. He didn't even need to specify a location for Cosmo to go.

"I have to see them-" Cosmo protested and Juandissimo shot golden magic at him. The tainted fairy vanished with a pop and Juandissimo ran. He had at least six hours before Doombringer realized which side he was playing and pursued him. He could use the time to establish some sort of defense and rescue Remy and Wanda.

Juandissimo stared around him. There was a high fence with barbed wire at the top on his right and stacked, rotting wooden boxes alongside it. Beyond the high fence was an abandoned warehouse and it reminded Juandissimo how close they were to Doombringer's operations. The waning moon was hard to see beyond the warehouse's stories and he turned his attention to his left, where the sidewalk ended and cracks had developed in the pavement. Weeds grew in the cracks and vials littered the dirty ground. A strange mist blew and concealed three feet from his vision.

"Traitor," a male hissed and issued from the mist. Unlike Cosmo, whose taint had only begun, this one had alternating black and purple. He wore a half crown and Juandissimo gritted his teeth. Doombringer hadn't trusted him to bring in Cosmo.

"What do you plan to do about it?" Juandissimo said smoothly.

"What do you think?" he retorted. He had a barrel chest and had shifted into a Doberman to Juandissimo's German shepherd.

Juandissimo blasted him, the half-breed ducked, and Juandissimo jumped upon him. In a flash, the half-breed was gone and he appeared above Juandissimo. The Latino fairy rolled to avoid the ploy and generated glue on the area he thought the half-breed most likely to fall upon. With the glue in place, he launched himself into the air again and the half-breed brushed the glue, his tail getting stuck. He darted forward but the glue held firmly, securing him by the tail.

"Give me the wand," the half-breed demanded. "Give it to me _now_."

"I have a better idea," he said. "Forget what you saw here or I will make you forget."

"You let him go," he hissed. "You betrayed Doombringer."

"She kidnapped my godson and true love," he countered.

"Not much of a true love if she married that idiot, is she?" he scoffed and Juandissimo throttled his temper. He had the upper hand here and he should know better than to listen to weaklings beneath him ramble.

"You will forget what happened or I will make you forget," he repeated. The half-breed snorted and Juandissimo approached, careful not to touch the glue he had laid down.

"You're a lightsided fairy," the half-breed scoffed. "You don't have the gumption."

Juandissimo smiled and his teeth flashed in the moonlight. He descended upon his prey and the wand glowed hot in his teeth. Warning sparks shot out of it.

For a few moments, the half-breed whimpered and then it escalated into throaty half screams.

* * *

Wanda collapsed, exhausted, in the butterfly net. Spent, she rested against the iron and felt her strength seeping out. Crying took too much effort and the most she could imagine was sitting there waiting for the next ordeal. Maybe she'd die. Right now, she had nothing left in her to care. She saw sparkling blood in her mind's eye and she missed Cosmo and Timmy.

Slumping to the bottom, she shut her eyes and dropped, not into sleep, but unconscious. Dripping, sparkling blood haunted her for hours.

* * *

Morning dawned and Timmy realized belatedly the cell now had a window. It wasn't much, just a small slit to allow a minimum of sunlight, but it gave him a little hope. Tootie had fallen asleep (or unconscious- he wasn't sure which) and he had pulled her into his lap. Not out of any sense of camaraderie, mind you, but her sudden illness made him very nervous. Everything was wrong here and Cosmo hadn't come back.

"I wish I was a kid again!" he called and she muttered sleepy protests. He saw no magic cloud, heard no accompanying 'you got it', and his spirits sunk. Shaking his head at himself, he pounded the floor with his fist. Stupid Timmy. He should have realized that wasn't going to work.

Food appeared like magic in front of them and Tootie stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. An overhead light switched on, bathing them in an unnatural fluorescent glow. It was better than the slim daylight and he welcomed it, although Tootie looked especially washed out. The light made it better to see the food, which included buttered waffles and orange juice. He blinked and cautiously sniffed a plate. It didn't smell poisoned, but it wasn't like he had vast experience with people poisoning him.

Tootie straightened and pushed herself out of his lap. She continued rubbing her eyes and groaned. He watched her carefully, in case she suddenly started screaming again. Aside from looking exhausted, she showed no signs of randomly convulsing and shaking like she had yesterday. Once they got out of here, he was wishing he forgot all about this, no matter what happened as a result.

"We got food," he said and she blinked blearily at him. "Think it's poisoned?"

"Are you going to use me as a test subject?" she said groggily. Timmy grinned sheepishly. He hadn't thought about it, but he had subconsciously already decided it.

"What was bugging you last night, anyway?" he said. Still trying to rid herself of the fine grit, she used her free right hand to grab the plate and put it on her lap. There were two napkins with utensils on it and they looked reasonably clean, although for all Timmy knew they too were laced with poison. This was weird. It was like eating a buffet Vicky had made.

"Do you really care?" she asked.

"Duh, otherwise I wouldn't be asking," he said. "Aren't you supposed to be jumping all over me because I'm talking to you?"

Timmy reached for his plate. She had started to chew her waffles (she made a face, but since she didn't drop dead, he assumed the waffles weren't to her liking and not that they were going to kill him).

"Cosmo and Wanda were my fairy godparents before they were yours," she said and he dropped the plate. It bounced against the floor and the waffles bounced too, a couple of them sliding off the plate and onto the floor. One waffle half stayed, half touched the ground like its predecessors. Timmy ignored it.

"_What_?" he exclaimed. "That's not…that's not possible!"

"How exactly is it not possible?" she said in a high pitched tone. Having finished with her eyes, she stacked the waffles back on his plate. He was a boy. He wouldn't care.

"Because Cosmo and Wanda- Cosmo and Wanda-" he didn't have any steam for this, but he was going to plow on anyway. "Because Cosmo and Wanda are _mine _and they would have told me if they had you first."

"Not if their memories were erased like mine," she countered.

"If your memories were erased, then how do you know you had them?" he shot back, feeling petty and not caring one bit.

"I tried last night to place them in my room and talking to me, the way I've seen you talk to them when I was spying on you don't be mad," she said and the last few words ran together. He narrowed his eyes.

"Great. You were spying on me. Not only are you stalking me, but you're spying on me too. Next you're gonna tell me you have a tracking device on me," he muttered.

"Actually…"

"Tootie!" he snapped and she bristled.

"The point isn't that I'm keeping close tabs on you! The point is that I had Cosmo and Wanda before you and that's the reason Doombringer brought me here! Not because I'm in love with you, not because Vicky is the only other human you encounter often enough to get fairy dust by proxy and I'm her sister, but because if Doombringer really thinks we get power from our fairies, then I must have some too even if I don't remember having them."

"You can't have had Cosmo and Wanda," he whined.

"Give me one good reason why not," she countered.

"Because Cosmo and Wanda are _my _fairies," he said weakly. "My godparents. They love _me_."

"Maybe they loved me too," she said and shook her head. "I wish I could remember."

"See? You don't remember if they loved you, so-" he stopped at her glare. It was almost like seeing younger Vicky staring at him through those glasses. It sent chills down his spine.

"You won't either," she shot back. "When you lose them and Jorgen wipes your memories, you won't remember ever seeing them, let alone if they loved you."

Timmy's mouth dropped and he tried to think of a clever retort. Unfortunately, none came to mind. A hollow feeling filled his chest and he lost what little appetite he had. He didn't like thinking about losing his godparents. Cosmo and Wanda were one of the few things that made him happy. Of course, he didn't love them more than his real parents, but there were times that he thought he might prefer them. Not just for the magic, you know, but times when they were there when he needed them and his parents weren't. His parents didn't wake up in the middle of the night to comfort him. Cosmo and Wanda did. His parents didn't usually talk to him after Trixie had rejected him for the umpteenth time and make him smile. To think he might forget everything his godparents had ever done for him…

"How do you know about Jorgen?" he said instead.

"Spying," she said. "Plus, you guys are really loud. Haven't you ever heard of an indoor voice?"

He didn't smile. The hollowness continued.

Underneath the waffles was a message and Tootie pried it out from beneath the soggy, cold meal.

"I'll be here for you at noon," she read.

Timmy hugged his knees. "Cosmo and Wanda, where are you?"

* * *

A bright light burned and eliminated vision. And then…nothing.


	18. The Light!  It Burns!

Author's Note: Time jumps back and forth here. I'd forgotten morning had started at the end of the last chapter, so consider everything except the last scene to be set the night before. Also, Anti Cosmo/Wanda vibes big time, because I ship that. Surprised? No, I didn't think so.

One last thing- finals are coming up and I'm also having a lot of personal problems. Updates may disappear for a while.

Chapter Eighteen: The Light! It Burns!

The light seared him and burned him to the core. Within him or perhaps without, Cosmo couldn't tell, the being screamed in agony and Cosmo rolled all over on his belly like a dog to rid himself of the horrible, terrible light. Tears sprang to his eyes and he sobbed, no more in control of his body than a seashell being swept out by the waves. Chest heaving, he clutched the useless wands and waited for his body to explode. It certainly felt like it was going to. His heart would probably launch itself out of his body and-

"Cosmo."

Wow, he didn't normally think in a deep, muscular voice, but now he'd have to start narrating like that. His chest was on fire and he thought he might die and maybe death would be preferable to feeling like a human torch. He missed Wanda and Timmy, though.

"Cosmo, I am starting to lose patience."

That voice sounded really familiar. He ought to recognize it, but nothing was coming to mind. Who could it be? Who did he know with a deep, muscular voice and a short fuse? Timmy's dad? No, that didn't sound right. Big Daddy could be it, but there was a shadow looming over Cosmo, and not the shadow that had clung to him before.

"_Cosmo_," the voice growled. Cosmo curled into a ball and whined piteously.

"Cosmo!" the snarl was enough to send birds flying and a few people cowering nearby. It also reminded him of something and he opened his eyes, which were watering and felt like they might melt out of his skull.

"Do I know you?" Cosmo murmured.

"Did you take a knock on the head while you were on Earth?" the voice snapped. "Or are you stupider than usual?"

"Um, both?" Cosmo replied. "But, seriously, who are you?"

A large hand swooped up and seized Cosmo by the scruff of his neck like he weighed nothing. True, he did weigh nothing, since he was a fairy, but it was disconcerting to be on the ground one minute and then in the air another. Also, his vision was wavering in and out and it was like a disembodied hand. Cosmo screamed. A disembodied hand was freaky. He remembered when Timmy had wished everything was real and scary and-

"_Cosmo_!" the voice roared, his body reverberating with his voice and his teeth rattling. The being shivered and slipped inside, hiding itself from whomever it was. So the being hadn't gone, unless 'going into hiding' counted as vanishing. Cosmo gulped.

"Where is Wanda?" he snapped.

"I don't know…" Cosmo groaned. "Where am I, anyway?"

The person or fairy, whoever it was, their grip tightened on Cosmo's neck and white hot magic glowed close to his face. Whimpering, Cosmo clutched the wands tighter and swallowed convulsively. Shivers wracked him and he wished for Wanda and Timmy fiercer than ever. The person huffed and pried his eyes open. Cosmo's vision swam and he only saw a male with a chiseled face, a strong protruding chin, and grey hair for a few seconds before his eyes closed again.

"You are in Fairy World. And you have been tainted," he said. He groaned. "Why do I bother? You don't understand what I'm saying anyway."

Cosmo shook his head and he tossed Cosmo up in the air like a ball and then caught him flat in his palm.

"I will take you to the doctor to find out if it's contagious and then I will take you to be purified," he said and grimaced. "Perhaps it is only contagious to other idiots. We can only hope."

**

* * *

**

Juandissimo was shaking by the time he finally collapsed in Brightsburg. He knew the escape wouldn't last for long and Doombringer would find him soon enough. Although he could use his wand to transport himself anywhere, attacking the half-breed had cost him a lot of power. His wand worked, although Cosmo's no longer did, but it would run out of power unless Juandissimo relied on an alternate source. Fairy World was closed off to him while he served under Doombringer and the alternate source of power was so unpleasant it made him shudder to think about.

In the olden times, fairy and elves (then called liosalfar or the Child of Oberon) used to feed off human emotions. The half-breeds and the anti-fairies could feed off negative emotions, like hate and anger, and the stronger it built, the more their power grew. Good fairies could feed off pleasant emotions, which was why they wanted to make children happy. It was a symbiotic relationship. However, after humanity's pain had grown to a certain level, the ability to seize the magic had shifted and magic without a wand had become tainted, only the evil emotions left to drawn upon. If Juandissimo ran out of power, he'd risk drawing the evil magic in and corrupting himself, like Cosmo had.

Juandissimo sighed. There was a figure lurking outside his vision and glass gleamed off a reflection in a puddle. In dog form, he rested his head upon his paws and shut his eyes. For the meanwhile, he'd try to sleep and hope Doombringer was distracted. He'd have to return, or his loved ones would suffer, but right now, telling her Cosmo had escaped would only make matters worse. (What would make matters better, anyway? Nothing worked with her).

Exhaustion paved the way to sleep better than any lullaby and Juandissimo allowed himself to drift into a wary sleep. Enemies were everywhere and he couldn't afford to sleep deeper.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, anti fairies didn't like half breeds either. Anti Cosmo and Anti Wanda were sniffing around Dimmsdale and trying to stay below Jorgen's radar. It was easier than they thought because Jorgen was distracted by another child of Timmy's caliber making mischief. Besides, they preferred to stick what they knew best and Anti Cosmo still wanted Timmy as his godchild. Timmy had a great propensity for chaos and destruction which appealed to Anti Cosmo's sensibilities. And, well…Wanda would probably stick around even if Anti Cosmo seized godparenting responsibilities. Anti Cosmo grinned. He favored Wanda over Anti Wanda, but he had no intention of showing her so soon.

The sheer amount of half breeds hanging around town set Anti Cosmo's teeth on edge. They were like vultures, sniffing out the errant magic the anti fairies couldn't touch. Everywhere Anti Cosmo and Anti Wanda went, they encountered one. Thankfully, none of them were brave enough to confront the anti fairies, but it was growing very irritating to spend a nighttime stroll running into magical dregs.

They weren't allowed in Fairy World. Anti fairies could live there and had even built a city separate from the light-sided fairies, but half breeds were banned. This led to them being bitter and resentful. They weren't allowed to possess a wand either, because Fairy World and its denizens were of the opinion half breeds were dangerous and best left alone. Anti Cosmo smirked. Say what you want about fairies being good and kind, they still had their prejudices.

"What are we lookin' for, anyway?" Anti Wanda drawled and Anti Cosmo hissed, drawn out of his inner monologue.

"Something is amiss in Dimmsdale," he replied. They were disguised as bloodhounds with their noses to the ground. At least, Anti Cosmo's nose was to the ground. Anti Wanda was sniffing leftover food from Italian restaurant and veered off in that direction. Anti Cosmo stifled a growl.

"Does it go with garlic bread?" Anti Wanda said. Anti Cosmo refrained from banging his head into the wall.

"No, my dear," he said and rolled his eyes. "It goes with all the fairies in Dimmsdale, particularly our counterparts."

"Oh," Anti Wanda said. Her tail twitched and she launched herself after the dumpster. Anti Cosmo stood and waited for her. It was a shame anti fairies were required to marry each other and intermarriage was frowned upon. Another example of Fairy World's rank prejudice. For almost ten thousand years, he'd been chained to an idiot because Wanda was. He loved her, because if he truly hated her he'd have ridded himself of her long ago, but it was tolerance rather than passion.

"Then what's the point?" Anti Wanda called, her voice muffled through the steel.

"The point, my dear, is that if something truly awful is going on, we want in on it," he said.

* * *

Wanda awoke with a sharp cry and looked around her. Doombringer was standing over the net and her body ceased feeling like it wanted to expel her. Too weak to do much more than look up at her captor, she relaxed her body against the tight ropes and winced at the net. When she got out of here, she was burning every single butterfly net she laid her hands on.

"Juandissimo's not back yet," she said. "It's morning. I don't suppose you know where he is."

Wanda didn't have enough energy to be snarky. "No."

"Hmm," Doombringer said. "You're going to need more energy than that in order to pass the trials I've set for you."

She blinked and Doombringer hauled her out with another butterfly net. Dropping her onto the floor, Wanda rested for a second. Strength ebbed back into her and she craned her neck to stare around the room. There wasn't much to look at. The butterfly net was part of an indentation in the floor and aside from the hole and the door, the room was barren.

"How do you feel about Remy Buxaplenty?"

Wanda shook her head.

"You don't know him? I doubt that," she scoffed. "I know more than you think, Wanda."

She knew her name. That was already too much. Wanda looked askance and missed Cosmo, Timmy, and her wand, in that order. She'd even settle for a marriage joke with Cosmo beside her and her wand in her hand.

"You know him," she said. "And if you don't, you will. I'm allowing you a rare treat- you can watch me challenge Remy and see how I reward him for doing well. If you find it to your liking, you'll finally agree to help me. If you don't…I have a little idea about how Fairy World wipes memories thanks to listening in on Timmy and Tootie this morning. I'd like to test my theory."

She grinned and Wanda shuddered, cold all over.

"Although first, I suppose I should feed you," she said in a derisive tone, as if feeding Wanda was hardly necessary. "And then we can go to work."


	19. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Author's Note: I felt like I did a lot of editing this time around, to force the scenes to confine to a certain length. As usual, I hope you enjoy it. I'm sorry for the delay in updating. School's over for this term, but personal problems abound.

Also, more Anti Cosmo/Wanda. Heh. And one more thing- this would have been up last night, but Firefox hates me.

Chapter Nineteen: Mirror Mirror on the Wall (Who's the Fairest Fey of All?)

Whomever Doombringer employed as a cook knew how to create a decent omelet. Its cheesy warmth, along with the hot cocoa Doombringer had given her, did nothing to dispel the inner chill. Food kept sticking in her mouth and she realized it had only been two days since she had arrived here. It felt like an eternity. The last time she had been separated this long from her husband was before they had married. Marriage jokes or not, physical and emotional abuse or not, she missed Cosmo terribly.

Doombringer had placed her at a children's table in a diminutive, otherwise empty room. The walls were alabaster, the door was locked and coded, with no knob on the inside, and lengthwise, it might have been about five feet by five feet. It was a glorified closet and Wanda might have voiced her sorrow if she wasn't positive Doombringer was watching her. Someone had to be spying- she could feel the tension at the back of her neck.

After she had stomached all her feeble body could handle, Doombringer entered and inclined her head. Wanda inclined her head back and her stomach somersaulted. Feigning passivity, she permitted Doombringer to seize her (and stifled a sharp remark, because she hated the woman's hands upon her). Doombringer carried her underarm like a football and Wanda gritted her teeth.

Doombringer walked down the hall and used her palm to open up another room, which had a two way mirror. She dumped Wanda on the counter and backed away, locking the door. Wanda groaned, struggling into a sitting position. Her stomach felt like it might revolt and she clutched it.

"For security reasons, I can't let you be in the same room as Remy," Doombringer said. "You understand."

Wanda didn't, but she thought it best not to ask questions. She flopped onto her back and rolled so she could see the tiny white room in which Remy found himself. Remy was sitting, his breakfast tray ignored and to the side, and brooded upon an indent on the wall. From his current position, his back was to them and he appeared to be muttering to himself.

Doombringer hit a switch on the wall near the mirror to activate the other room's mike.

"Juandissimo, where are you?" Remy cried. "I want to go home."

Wanda's heart wrenched. Was Timmy wishing the same thing in his cell with Tootie and Cosmo? Was Cosmo even there anymore? Her heart told her otherwise, even if their Bond was too badly sundered to distinguish his location.

"Remy," Doombringer said, pulling a microphone closer- it was on the counter near Wanda's feet. "I have a mission for you. If you can accomplish this, I'll let you see Juandissimo."

She shut off the mike and Wanda had to ask, even if she'd probably regret it.

"Are you really going to let him see his godfather?" she said.

"It depends on how well he does," Doombringer said and, in a darker voice, added, "And why Juandissimo didn't return last night."

Turning the mike back on, she said, "I want you to create a hole big enough to walk through. There's a room beyond the one you're in. If you can reach it, I'll let you see Juandissimo again. If you can't…"

She left the threat open and Remy whirled, staring at what appeared to him to be a blank wall. His eyes hooked onto where Doombringer's voice emanated.

"And if I can't, what then?" he said. He definitely whined more than Timmy and Wanda grimaced. Godchildren could be such pains when they groused.

"Juandissimo didn't come home last night," Doombringer said in a silky smooth voice. "You wouldn't want his punishment to include the repercussions for _your _actions, would it? After all, he already suffers _so much_."

Wanda and Remy shuddered in unison. Wanda had never really loved Juandissimo the way she loved Cosmo, but she couldn't bear to see another creature in pain. Sometimes, they deserved it, but she knew however Doombringer meted out punishment, it was never fair and always excruciating. The butterfly net might not work on Juandissimo, but she was sure the longer he went missing, the longer Doombringer had to plot how to punish him for his perceived insurrection.

"How long do I have?" Remy said. The whine was still present, but subdued now. "And if he didn't come back, where is he?"

"That's for you to wonder and for me to find out," she replied. "And you have until six o'clock. Wanda will make sure you don't cheat."

Wanda's jaw hung agape. How on earth did she expect Remy to cheat? Remy was human, not fairy. Remy didn't have vast magical stores beyond his reach.

Doombringer seized Wanda by the collar. "And if you help him, once I find Cosmo, I will feed him to my half breed army and listen to him scream."

"Wanda?" Remy echoed. "Timmy's fairy godmother?"

"That's right," Doombringer replied. "And you said you two didn't know each other."

Wanda gulped and Doombringer smiled.

"You have ten hours," she said. "Make them count."

She dumped Wanda on the counter again and smiled cruelly, allowing the image of half breed dogs tearing Cosmo limb from limb to sink into her mind. Wanda hugged her knees and stared through the mirror at Juandissimo's godchild. Even if she had wanted to help him, she didn't know where to begin. Doombringer had known she would have done whatever she could to help Timmy and Tootie.

But what was this supposed to prove, by forcing her to watch Remy? Doombringer already knew Wanda sympathized with disenfranchised children. Then what would this accomplish?

"You're Turner's godmother," Remy called.

Wanda flipped and crawled to the mike. "That's right."

"So Turner's here too," he said. "Have you seen Dissimo?"

She shook her head, remembered she could see him, not the other way around, and said, "Not recently."

Remy sighed. "And you can't help me?"

"I'm afraid not, hun," she said.

"Not even suggestions?" he said.

"I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Typical," Remy huffed. "Even poor children's godparents aren't as good as rich children's."

Wanda's jaw dropped and she was tempted to retaliate. She forced herself to remember Remy was suffering like her and although he sorely needed a reality check, now was neither the time nor the place. Instead, narrowing her eyes, she squeezed the microphone.

"Good luck," she said and shut off the mike. "You'll need it."

Remy huffed and she smirked. As weak as she felt, and as irritating as Remy was, this beat staying in an iron butterfly net.

* * *

The instant Jorgen entered with Cosmo, the faeries in the waiting room fled and Cosmo grimaced in Jorgen's arms. For the sake of his sanity, he had knocked the puny creature out, because he kept whining about Timmy and Wanda. Jorgen had no idea what was going on in Dimmsdale, but it was secondary to whatever else had happened. It had been millennia since a full blooded fairy had shown evidence of the taint. The idea it might spread to the other fairies was horrifying.

Jorgen placed Cosmo inside a magical force field on the floor.

"Don't move," he commanded. Cosmo, who was semiconscious, didn't show any signs of moving, but just to be sure, Jorgen confiscated his wands. It nagged at him Wanda was missing, since he always found the two together, but he shelved the concern. Slamming his massive wand on the ground, he transported into the doctor's office, where Dr. Ripped Studwell (why did he hear Cosmo speaking over his internal narration?) was in the middle of an important phone call.

"Dinner at my place or yours?" Dr. Studwell purred. "Should I bring the champagne or do you have something special planned?"

"I hate to interrupt your love life-"Jorgen started and Dr. Studwell put a hand over his phone's speaker. He inclined his head at Fairy World's leader.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to set up a date tonight," he said. He returned to his conversation. "Yeah, no, that was Jorgen. Look, babe, you have to make up your mind. I'm a very busy fairy."

"So am I," Jorgen growled and brought his huge glowing wand, shooting off menacing sparks, close to Dr. Studwell's face. "And I do not care what you're doing tonight. We have a situation here."

"I'll talk to you later, Betty," Dr. Studwell said and hung up. He straightened and posed, as if Jorgen hadn't been threatening bodily harm. "What is it? What patient needs my urgent care?"

"Cosmo," he said. "Here. I will bring you to him."

They reappeared in the waiting room. The receptionist had fainted and was on the floor; Jorgen sneered. Puny fairies always showed their fear, when they should hide it and be proud instead. Of course, he wasn't going to admit the taint terrified him too. It was his job to appear strong so the fairies had a role model.

"Oh my Oberon…" Dr. Ripped Studwell breathed. "I have never seen a taint this powerful before."

"Of course you haven't," Jorgen snapped sarcastically. "There has not been a tainted fairy in Fairy World in well over ten thousand years."

"I knew that," he said. "What caused it?"

"I do not know," Jorgen said. "And asking him is useless. All he does is ramble about Wanda and Timmy."

Dr. Ripped Studwell stared blankly and Jorgen sighed.

"His wife and godchild?" he explained.

"Right, right, the dowdy woman and the whining kid," he said. He frowned at Cosmo, who twitched. Wary, the doctor touched his wand tip to Cosmo's forehead and the tip fizzled and turned black. Trembling, he stared at Jorgen.

"You want me to cure _that_?" he said.

"I should have known better than to ask you," Jorgen said, grimacing. "I will take him to the fountain to be healed. It will be painful, but necessary."

"Wait," Dr. Ripped Studwell said. "I'm sure I've got something." He disappeared, his wand crackling, and Jorgen groaned. He pounded his wand and Cosmo popped into his arms. There was another way to glean the information, but it would be much more painful. It was known to cause permanent brain damage if applied inexpertly and although Cosmo had little brain mass to begin with, the repercussions of his actions could destroy Fairy World. An idiotic Cosmo already posed a substantial threat. An idiotic, possibly insane Cosmo sent chills down his spine.

"Give this to him when you bring him to the fountain," the doctor said, reappearing and brandishing a small bottle full of clear liquid. "It's a sedative. It should counteract the poison the dark one gave him."

Jorgen stared and Dr. Studwell cleared his throat.

"I use it for patients who are possessed by demons," he said. He checked his watch. "Look at the time. I have a miniature golf game later and-"

"You are not going anywhere," Jorgen growled. "You are the foremost expert on fairy conditions in all of Fairy World and if anything happens to Cosmo, I will blame you."

The doctor pulled nervously at his collar. "What do you expect me to do? I've never treated this before."

"You will stand by the fountain and wait," Jorgen said. "If this is contagious…"

He smiled coldly. "You will be the first to know."

* * *

Anti Cosmo and Anti Wanda had reached the abandoned warehouse district. Anti Wanda was still distracted by food, but Anti Cosmo was alert, his nose to the ground and his tail in the air. Cosmo had been here recently. Wanda was still here. His tail quivered and he sprang into his normal position.

"Something very queer is going on," Anti Cosmo announced. Anti Wanda was munching on spoiled dinner rolls she had purloined from Il Maestro, the Italian restaurant in town. (The Italian restaurant that seemed to make its appearance in many similar universes…)

"Like this dinner roll? I think it's green!" Anti Wanda said. Anti Cosmo sighed. Five seconds later, she tossed it up and chowed down. He advanced, sensing not only Cosmo and Wanda, but corrupted magick. Whirling, he let out a desultory growl.

"You're on our turf," a voice called and launched itself near them. A male bloodhound with a tarnished half-crown landed in front of them. Its fur was a mixture of red and black and Anti Cosmo growled again, this time a warning, standing practically on top of Anti Wanda. He tensed, readying for the inevitable fight. Normally, anti fairies had superior magic to half breeds, but this one was getting its power elsewhere. Anti Cosmo couldn't identify it, which was unsettling.

"Really? I thought you were on mine, since you don't deserve to be here," Anti Cosmo said. Anti Wanda abandoned the roll, partially eaten, and stood behind her husband.

"Says you," the half breed countered. "We're going to run this place pretty soon, once we milk the fairies' get for what they're worth."

"The fairies get…" Anti Cosmo echoed. He tossed his head. "Fairies can't have children."

"Not the real get, you idiot," the half breed growled. "Their human children."

"You mean them thar godchildren?" Anti Wanda said. Anti Cosmo groaned.

"That's right," the half breed said.

"What on earth do godchildren have to do with fairies beyond ordering them around?" Anti Cosmo said. "Human children are basically useless in terms of power."

"That's what Jorgen wants you to think," the half breed continued. "But once we get our way, the children will be our puppets."

"You're deluded," Anti Cosmo said. "Who is your master?"

"Come in and I'll show you," the half breed said. Anti Cosmo stared at the ground, littered with debris and garbage. He could sense Wanda inside the warehouse and it quickened his heart. Juandissimo might love Wanda with a Latino passion and Cosmo might love her with the sickly sweetness of the light and good. Anti Cosmo wanted to own Wanda, to possess her and bring her over to his darkness, to bar her from being with anyone else ever again. Anti Wanda picked up her head and stared at Anti Cosmo. She couldn't guess his thoughts and they didn't share telepathy, but she sensed something. He scoffed. What little she sensed was of no concern to him.

Anti Cosmo looked at his wand and smirked, looking back at the half breed.

"Why not?" he said. "Anti fairies have always stood for chaos."


	20. Red Wine

Author's Note: I'm behind. I'm sorry. I still have personal crap going on and a lot of stress. Plus, another story is eating my attention.

Chapter Twenty: Red Wine

Remy stared at the wall he was supposed to miraculously destroy to reach another obstacle. Normally, he'd have his servants knock down the wall and watch their labors with a smirk. Nothing in his life demanded he strain himself. Physical endeavors were beyond him. Technically, this involved brain over brawn, but he hadn't used his brain too often either. How had he done it yesterday? He remembered being frustrated, pushed past his endurance, and then, a small hole had appeared, a hole he had expanded upon.

However, he wasn't pushed to the brink today. Yesterday, it had been sheer desperation. He couldn't afford to concede defeat and Doombringer had to have left Wanda for a reason.

"Wanda?" he called. "That _is _your name, isn't it?"

She didn't reply and he stared at the hole. Try as he might, he couldn't muster his resentment and anger.

The microphone clicked on. "Yes?"

"What do you think she's going to do to 'Dissimo? I mean, Juandissimo," he said. He was unable to quell his anxiety and his panic carried.

"Do you really want to think about that?" she said. He recognized the conciliatory tone and grimaced. Even if he wasn't her charge, she was still trying to protect him. He didn't need babying. Whirling to face the mirror he couldn't see, he glared at where he thought she was.

"Yes, I do," he said. "I can't succeed unless I have a reason."

"Cosmo escaped," she said. "He might be able to get help."

Remy sneered. "I've heard Dissimo talk about Cosmo. He won't be any help. He'll be lucky if someone doesn't run him over."

"Speculating on what might happen to Juandissimo isn't going to help," she said softly.

He smirked. "You'd tell Timmy if he wished it."

"I'd talk him out of it," she countered. "And I'm not allowed to help you."

"You're not being any help right now," he snapped. "In fact, you might as well not be there."

She groaned and the microphone clicked off. He shivered, chilled inside. Although he didn't particularly care for peasants and their godparents, whatever Doombringer had done to her might be replicated with Juandissimo. It was imperative he find out what she was capable of. All he had to draw upon were his own experiences. Doombringer had isolated him after snatching him, but hadn't done anything else.

"Is she doing anything to the others?" he said.

There was a longer silence this time, not as if Wanda were considering her words but, as if it taxed her to hit the mike button. No, Remy had to be imagining things. His parents, on the rare occasions he saw them, told him he had an overactive imagination. (This was usually related to "you're going to stay for dinner, right?"). Stiffening his upper lip, he glowered.

"I demand you answer me."

"You're not my godson."

He wasn't sure whether she wasn't replying because he wasn't Timmy or because she really didn't want to tell him. Scowling, he folded his arms across his chest.

"Help me without helping me or we'll both suffer," he said.

Another expectant pause and this time, she filled it. "Doombringer has a callous disregard for life. She thinks of people as tools. When you're done with a tool…."

Rage kindled. Panting, he stared at the hole he had created yesterday. It wasn't enough. He had the catalyst, but not the bonfire.

"Then am I Dissimo's tool or is he mine?" he said.

"You're a pawn," she said. "We all are."

Remy had always been powerless. He had masked it by acting like he was in control of everything, when greater forces dominated him. The greater forces kept him away from his parents. They kept him from receiving love except through Juandissimo. True, Remy had money, but what good was money when he didn't have real friends or companionship? What right did Doombringer have to change Fairy World's edict and keep Juandissimo to herself? What right did she have to manipulate them?

The rage burned hotter and he stared at the wall. He thought about what might have befallen Wanda. His parents treated people like they were tools too. Whenever someone ceased productivity, the company dropped them like hot coals. He had done the same thing, but the idea of someone using Juandissimo like that was abhorrent. The rage burned and he felt something he hadn't anticipated. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

He imagined Juandissimo shoved inside the small opening he had created and continually compressed until he was nothing. Then he imagined his parents telling him to discard his purple ferret and had to obey their rules even though they were never present to enforce them, and being stuck in school with no friends, no fairy godparent, and nothing redeemable left. Doombringer had taken the only thing of real value. His hands glowed and he shoved, picturing the wall indenting with his fury and loathing.

He pictured the room beyond the wall and using the plaster to attack Doombringer. Juandissimo wouldn't be behaving strangely like he had before he vanished and Remy was taken. He would be by his side, his beloved, his…Remy's throat constricted. A couple tears streaked his cheeks and Wanda made soothing noises, but he ignored her. He could feel pent up power, along with fear of the unknown and undesirable, and he needed to manipulate it.

Gritting his teeth, he shoved out again and his mind encountered resistance. It was like pushing a crumbling brick wall. With enough force, it should topple. However, the wall had repelled superior efforts and wouldn't break easily. Shaking now, he thrust out with his body, imagining a wave destroying the wall, and everything else faded away. It narrowed down to the wall and Juandissimo. Fear shot through him again and he simply mixed it with power and resentment. Focusing on fear was dangerous.

Nothing mattered but destroying the wall. His body ached and he concentrated, mentally flinging his essence at the wall and weakening the structure. Once he had found the single crack, he could wend the crack throughout the entire structure and bring it down. That was how his father dominated business. He located the weakest link and brought the company to its knees. Hate boiled in his chest and his throat burned. And he pushed, harder than he had focused on anything in his life, not stopping to think about Turner, Turner's godmother, or his imprisonment. It would be so satisfying once the damn wall came down.

"Don't help me!" he screamed, uncertain whether she had spoken. "Don't-"

A magical backlash hit him, taking his breath away. Panting, he looked at his hands, where the purple glow ebbed and flowed. There was a doorway in the wall and it too glowed purple.

From another room, Wanda said, "…I didn't."

He looked up from his hands to the wall. It crumbled into white plaster.

* * *

"It's almost noon," Tootie said dispassionately.

"How the heck can you tell?" Timmy said.

"The way the sun moves across the floor," she said. "Haven't you ever heard of sundials?"

"No," he said. The stone wall Timmy was leaning against moved to produce bars and Doombringer appeared on the other side. He yelped, jumping to his feet and his eyes blazing defiance. Tootie stifled a sigh. She loved Timmy, and she admired his courage, but there were times when fighting didn't help.

"You remember Cosmo and Wanda, then," Doombringer said. Tootie jumped to her feet too and folded her arms across her chest.

"Not without a migraine," she retorted.

"There are ways around that," Doombringer said and smiled unpleasantly. "Whatever is hurriedly erased can always be recalled. A certain boy genius should better guard his portals."

The statement meant nothing to Tootie and Timmy's back was to her. He shivered and murmured, almost too low to hear, "Neutron…"

"I'm not saying it will be pleasant," she continued. She smiled cruelly. "Wouldn't you say the payoff is worth it? Now you'll remember whether anyone loved you."

Tootie's mouth dropped and she glowered. "I don't trust you."

"I know," she said, smirking. "But I need you alive. No matter how excruciating it might be, you'd survive. And the pain would only be temporary. The knowledge you were cheated would linger. Timmy stole your godparents, Tootie. They were _yours_ and he stole them. He took the only thing that ever made you happy."

"I make her happy!" Timmy snapped.

Doombringer laughed. "You launch water balloons at her. You go out of your way to avoid her. You lock her in closets. You use her. At least she'd _know _I was using her. You manipulate her to help yourself. In fact, you might say I'm doing you a kindness, Tootie. I never pretended to like you first."

"That's not fair!" Timmy said.

"Life isn't fair," Doombringer answered. "Isn't that why you have godparents?"

"I'd never betray Timmy," she said.

"You'd never betray the boy who would gladly sell you out," Doombringer retorted. "Admit it, Tootie. You'll never mean anything to him. He wants Trixie Tang and you're second best."

Tootie's heart thudded. She loathed Doombringer and everything she had done. Yet Doombringer's words spoke to the vulnerabilities and fears she concealed, what she might have shared with her godparents.

"Aren't you ten times more miserable?" she said. "You have two parents who are afraid to show you affection. You have a sister who makes your life a living hell. The only outlet you have will never notice you. Isn't it time you took back what was yours?"

"I don't want to hurt Timmy…" she whimpered.

"You won't," she promised. "You'll help him. The more children I have, the easier it will br. No harm, no foul."

"Tootie, she's tricking you," Timmy said.

"Curious how he didn't speak before," she said. "Curious how he didn't defend himself, didn't tell you how you should trust him or that he doesn't hold Trixie Tang in high esteem."

"How do you know so much?" she said.

"When was the last time your mother tucked you in when Vicky was home?" Doombringer said. "When was the last time you heard 'I love you' with Vicky around? When was the last time you were truly happy without it crashing down upon you?"

"I…"

"You're lying!" Timmy snapped. "Okay, yeah, I used her, but to save Cosmo and Wanda. You know our godparents are our weak spots and you're exploiting them. And yeah, I'm in love with Trixie Tang, but I'm ten."

"He admits he favors her," Doombringer said. "You will never be anything in his eyes."

"Stop it," he snapped.

"At least, when you had Cosmo and Wanda, you were someone to them…" Doombringer whispered.

"Why do you need us so badly?" Tootie said sourly. "What's so important you can't get it yourself?"

"Magic is power. Thousands of years ago, Jorgen sealed away the true power and lied to every fairy in existence," she said and smiled insanely. "But I'm the wrong person to ask. If Wanda behaves, I'm sure she could tell you."

"What do you mean, 'if Wanda behaves'?" Timmy snapped. "What have you done to her?"

"Tootie, if you help me, I promise Wanda will stop suffering," Doombringer said. "Everything will be better. All you have to do is let me scan your memories and bring Cosmo and Wanda back."

"Yeah, right," she said hollowly.

"That's all for now," she said. "And look, it's noon. I'll let Timmy work on an exercise while you decide. Don't worry. He'll be fine."

She smiled widely and her teeth gleamed. "He'll be perfectly fine."

"Bullshit," Timmy muttered and, startled, Tootie gawked.

Doombringer crooned, "The child knows how to curse. Did you learn that from your little fairies?"

Timmy glared. "Go to hell."

"Oh and there's more!" she said and laughed. "How entertaining. I wonder if cursing at the obstacles will cause them to spontaneously dissipate."

Timmy's lower lip curled in disdain beneath his bucktooth and his glare looked lethal.

"Come, Timmy Turner," she said and reached out. The bars flickered, becoming transparent, and became opaque once Timmy was beside Doombringer.

"I'll see how wide your vocabulary truly is. Think on it, Tootie. Think of the one-time painful unlocking versus years of attempting with only fuzzy memories and nothing to show for it," Doombringer said. "Think about what it'd be like to remember having godparents who love and care for you. Think about how it'd be to be like Timmy and not on the outside, looking in."

"Think about what it was like to be happy."


	21. Danse Macabre

Author's Note: Honestly, I forgot I'd written this. XD Bad author. Also, standard comments about stress about to murder me. -_-

Chapter Twenty One- Danse Macabre

After Doombringer left, Tootie slumped onto the floor. Despite her best intentions, Doombringer's words reverberated in her mind. The ring of truth pierced her deeply and she wrapped her arms around her legs. If she agreed to help Doombringer, she'd be betraying Timmy. Normally, she'd never conceive of it, but what if Doombringer was right? What if Cosmo and Wanda had brought her happiness and Doombringer could return it to her? Was it worth hurting Timmy? Which did she want more- a chance at true pleasure for once in her life or to be by her beloved's side? He didn't even care for her the way she cared for him.

"I'm sorry," Timmy said. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you and I'm sorry I'm still attracted to Trixie Tang over you."

The words washed over her, the second part only to be expected. "Which would you choose?"

"What?" he said flatly. "What are you talking about?"

"If you had to choose between helping Doombringer and bringing back Cosmo and Wanda and me, who would you choose?" she said.

"That's ridiculous," he said. She stared pointedly at him and he stared back.

"She's not going to let you have them back," Timmy said. "And what good are memories? Fairy World can take them away and they're not _real_, not like this is."

"You didn't answer my question," she said. "You'd pick Cosmo and Wanda. I know you would."

"Because they're _my_-"he stopped at the look on her face. "You can't side with her. She's evil."

"So's my sister," she replied.

"I don't know why you lost Cosmo and Wanda, if you had them, but it's not like Doombringer's going to give you Cosmo and Wanda back and you can be the way you were before," he said. "There's a reason you lost them."

"How do you know?" she snapped. "Maybe it wasn't my fault. And you haven't given me a good reason to side with _you_."

"Duh, because I'm not crazy and I'm not out to hurt faeries and children," he said.

"You hurt me all the time," she said softly. "And you don't even think about it. Or call yourself evil."

"I'm sorry," he huffed. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"But you don't mean it," she said. "You never learn your lesson."

"What do you want me to say? I'll share them with you? I can't do that," he said and rolled his eyes. "You're being ridiculous. We're trapped in here together. We should work _together_."

"If our situations were reversed, would you help me?" she repeated.

"Yeah, 'cuz it's the right thing to do," he said. "I'm not a complete jerk."

"If I don't side with Doombringer, I'll never know how happy I was," Tootie said sadly and looked at the floor. She knew, by the way her shoulder blades itched, that Doombringer was probably monitoring them.

"Yeah, and you won't know how miserable you really are," he said. "Why torture yourself? That's all she's doing. Torturing everyone until she gets what she wants."

Tootie didn't speak.

"I know bullies," he said. "And Doombringer is a giant bully. She's pushing us around and using us. And if you join up with her, she'll use you and then throw you away."

"Would you be my boyfriend if I joined you?" she said.

Timmy choked and sputtered. "No!"

For a long moment, she surveyed him. She loved him, or thought she did, but she was ten. What did she really know of great, heartrending love? For all she knew, she'd find someone else to fix her affection upon, although she doubted it. Timmy was her light in the darkness, the beacon she flocked to when all hope was lost, but he had more power as an ideal than a person. Still…she barely knew Cosmo and Wanda, thanks to Fairy World's meddling. She wavered back and forth.

"What if I let you pretend I was your boyfriend?" Timmy said. "But only until we fix everything."

"Can I kiss you?" she said.

"On the cheek."

"No deal."

"All right, fine, on the lips, but only five a day," he said. "And no tackle hugs."

"No more name calling or taunting me?" she said sourly. "No water balloons or unexpected lock ins? Can I tell people you're my boyfriend?"

"Sure…" he said and groaned. "Anything else?"

Tootie frowned. She really wanted to know whether or not she had been happy with Cosmo and Wanda and what had happened. But knowing probably wouldn't help her and Timmy was right. Fairy World could always wipe the memories clean again. She wished working with him and deciding right now didn't immediately close the doors off to her. She wished for so much…and didn't have a faerie to grant it.

"No," she said. "We're good."

"Okay," he said and relaxed. "I was afraid for a moment you really were going to side with Doombringer against me."

She thought but didn't say that she was afraid too, but not for the reason he had named. Timmy moved closer to her and looked at the not wall behind them.

"When do you think she'll be back?" he said.

"I'll give her five minutes," Tootie said. "She was probably listening the whole time."

* * *

Doombringer, who was indeed listening, smirked. She wasn't going to rage or be upset it appeared Tootie had temporarily sided with Timmy. She had planted the seeds of dissent. In time, they would sprout and perhaps Tootie would remember Doombringer's words. Perhaps, at some crucial moment, Timmy would misspeak or alienate her.

All she needed to do was wait. In the meanwhile, Remy had performed spectacularly. She was very hopeful.

* * *

Their guide was recalled to his master shortly after their arrival, how fortunate for him. Without him to lead the way, Anti Cosmo took point with Anti Wanda slightly behind him. There was no need for subterfuge here and they shifted back into their true forms. The first thing Anti Cosmo noticed weren't the surroundings but the way an unknown force cloyed at his magic and dragged him along for the ride. After a while, the sensation faded into the background, although it never quite left.

The hallways were dusty and dimly lit, most of the overhead bulbs broken and the lamps in disrepair. Their wands provided the illumination required and Anti Wanda kept freezing and rubbing her nose.

"I dunno," she said. "I don't think we should be in here."

"That's precisely the reason why we should," Anti Cosmo said. "Surely you can sense the potential."

Anti Wanda sneezed again, so hard she made a few overhead lamps rattle. Anti Cosmo sighed and waved his wand to produce a facemask for her. She sneezed into and he created another one.

Steel doors were locked and barricaded, complete with security devices. Anti Cosmo scoffed- anyone with magic wouldn't need to worry about primitive human security.

They drifted for minutes past the same scenery and Anti Cosmo found himself growing bored, as he knew Anti Wanda was. He found himself wondering in which level he could find Wanda and what state she might be in. He mentally catalogued how large the building could be underground and then grimaced, realizing he didn't know the full extent.

"I wonder where she is," Anti Wanda said and Anti Cosmo jerked, staring.

"Their master," Anti Wanda elaborated and stared back. "Who did you think I meant?"

"No one, dear," Anti Cosmo said and sighed.

"There's nothin' to do here and no one to talk to," Anti Wanda complained.

"Then let's say we go down a level," Anti Cosmo said and they held up their wands. The lower level was much more brightly lit and Anti Cosmo saw pristine floors and working bulbs. Everything was white and-

Whoosh! From above, a butterfly net slammed them into the floor and both moaned, shuddering.

"That wasn't very nice!" Anti Wanda complained.

"I should have expected it," Anti Cosmo groaned. "All right, whoever you are, you've caught us. Since we came willingly, I don't see the point."

No one came. They must have sprung a trap no one was monitoring. How tedious and tiresome that their magic was suppressed by something as mundane as a butterfly net. Beside him, Anti Wanda was pushing and pulling to no avail. If they could use their wands as blades, they might be able to escape, except the net's dampening effect turned their wands into glorified firewood.

"Now, what kind of place would willingly adopt half breeds no one wants, kidnap a godchild and his godparents, and then not bother to clean their traps?" Anti Cosmo said.

"Someone who wanted something they couldn't get?" Anti Wanda said. Anti Cosmo stared at her and she laughed insanely, grating his nerves. Still, she might be onto something.

"Like what, do you suppose?" Hopefully, he wasn't making a mistake treating her like a rational thinking creature.

"I dunno," she said. "Magic? Ooh, I know, some sorta voodoo."

"I highly doubt it," he replied. This was yet another reason he longed for Wanda. She would be intelligent and have useful insight. Hopefully, after prying her free from Cosmo, she could shake off the effects of being tied to an idiot for millennia.

Anti Wanda shrugged. "Let's sing folk songs."

Anti Cosmo suppressed a scream and ignored her. If the half-breed's boss wanted magic, this was a historical repeat. There were always enterprising humans who wanted to steal magic for their own and Fairy World usually suppressed them before they got too far. Kidnapping a godchild and their godparents meant Fairy World was preoccupied, because they would have surely noticed earlier.

However, Anti Cosmo doubted that was it. Half-breeds represented a very specific magical demographic. Their powers were more primal, because they were linked to ancient magic instead of the newfound magic tied into Fairy World's power base. Humans shouldn't know about that. It wasn't uncommon for a human to stumble upon their existence, although such instances were usually stricken from the record if Fairy World discovered it. But to learn secrets about the fey…it made Anti Cosmo uneasy.

He had no proof. Since they were trapped, he used the opportunity to process everything he saw. The facilities down here were fairly recently, which meant either the human had a great deal of money at her disposal, she had borrowed extensively, or a faerie had accommodated her. The faerie must have been under duress and he thought of Wanda again. Cosmo was gone, but he wouldn't have willingly left Wanda here. There might be another faerie in this equation, one he hadn't met yet. That probably meant another godchild…Jorgen was losing his touch.

The butterfly net was glued to the floor and Anti Cosmo grimaced. It looked like they'd have to wait for the human to discover them. In the meanwhile, he'd tune Anti Wanda out. Once she started singing, she didn't stop for hours.

* * *

Cosmo gasped and sputtered. Water seared and burned him; in his mind, screaming in agony, the darkness deafened him. He thrashed, trying to get above water and away from this torture. Every time he thought he surfaced, someone pushed him back under.

((Wanda! Wanda, help!))

There was no answer. The last time he had tried sending telepathy was months ago. The statue in their storage room had discouraged it. But right now, statue of his mother or no statue, he needed his wife.

((Wanda!))

"It's not working!" Jorgen snapped.

Finally, someone dragged him out and he lay, panting, on cement. Overhead, the sun was too warm and close. Water cascaded in a fountain that distantly seemed familiar. Wanda would probably know where he was. He reached for his wand, came up short, and discovered it in Jorgen's pocket.

"I told you I didn't know how to cure this!" Dr. Ripped Studwell protested.

"Cure what?" Cosmo said. "Where are we?"

"Fairy World," Jorgen said and picked Cosmo up. "You are still tainted, puny faerie, and you run the risk of contaminating everyone in Fairy World."

The darkness continued to cling to him.

"Then what are you going to do?" Cosmo said.

"Locate the source," Jorgen said. "And isolate you where you can't hurt anyone."

"What about Wanda and Timmy?" Cosmo protested.

"Too dangerous," he said. He tossed Cosmo at the doctor and banged his wand on the ground. Smoke erupted out of it and Jorgen glared, staring impressively off into the distance.

"You will take him somewhere safe and I will deal with the infestation," he said. He banged his wand once more upon the ground and vanished. Cosmo stared at the doctor, who groaned and wiped his forehead.

"Great," he muttered. "Just what I've always wanted to do- babysit."


	22. Seleighe Waltz

Author's Note: I don't remember the last time I actually wrote a chapter for this fic. Probably three weeks ago. XD

I'm gonna go read and then I need to write some more, probably for Nightfall and maybe for ALC too. Yep.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Seleighe Waltz

Chasing people out of their offices should always be this easy. Then again, depending on the day, Crocker was either an insane genius or a crackpot. Today, Doombringer happened upon 'Crackpot'. It was this and the ridiculous idea she was willing to hand off her captured fairies that lured Crocker out of his office and into the cafeteria. Once she was sure he was gone(her half-breeds should keep Crocker entertained), she dropped into his lair.

There might be a reliable portal to Fairy World, ridding herself of much of this irritating guesswork. Magic linked to godparents was always registered by Fairy World…unless it wasn't tied into their central power. Doombringer wanted power, like anyone with any sense who came in contact with faeries, but it wasn't _just _power. There were many legends about faeries, elves- Sidhe, as they were called in Celtic tradition. Sidhe probably still existed Underhill, but she knew the pitfalls and besides, anyone with any cruel ambitions would be adopted promptly by the Unseleighe, either making her a victim of their Hunt or torturing her for untold time until they killed her.

No, it was best to skirt the old magic users and head straight for the old magic itself. Every faerie _could _tap into it, but they chose not to. Doombringer didn't know the entire story, which was why she needed access to Fairy World's repository. Unfortunately, she didn't have a cloaking mechanism and a human adult in Fairy World was bound to cause panic. That was the need for Remy to develop his powers, so she could exploit him and then slip into Fairy World.

In order to do that, she needed to be sure she could get there without forcing a godparent to take her. Juandissimo might do it, he might not, but he also wasn't within her control. She wondered if attacking Wanda or Remy would bring him to his senses.

She flicked on the lights and admired the Crocker Cave. Before her, inactive, was what appeared to be a working portal to Fairy World. Inhaling shakily, she ran her fingers along the arch and smirked. Always with arches. That foolish boy genius had a few.

She had to safeguard the arch. It wasn't moveable and the half-breeds didn't have that kind of magic. She scowled, hands on her hips. Here was an instance where Juandissimo would have been useful. She had ordered her half-breeds to scour the nearby towns to locate him, but their magick was constrained. They could only transport over a limited distance and a limited amount before they overtaxed themselves. She didn't know whether it was lack of training or magic.

Nothing else in Crocker's cave interested her. There were butterfly nets, which Doombringer already had, and a couple books she had already read. He had looked into mythology too, but the tales were disparate and apparently, not all of the old information was true anymore. She had had to use Juandissimo's magic to strip away Wanda's iron tolerance.

Although she couldn't enter Fairy World now, she switched the portal on and watched, awestruck, as the rainbow colored paths, clouds, and floating creatures appeared in the viewing screen. The very essence of goodness and light also carried and she cringed, averting her gaze. The happiness and pleasure was too much and it set her teeth on edge. She'd have to immure herself before she went.

Shutting the portal off, she closed her eyes. Fairy World's brief glimpse was seared into her brain. It was possible, then. All things were possible. And maybe Fairy World would be a trifle less cheery if she delivered a dead faerie at their doorstep. With the way things progressed with Juandissimo, the only way Remy would see him again was in a body bag.

* * *

Jorgen should have arrived in Dimmsdale immediately after he set off. He couldn't. There was a barricade around the town and it shunted him aside, putting him squarely in Retroville. Retroville was the last place on any Earth he wanted to be, although it appeared he might have to utilize Jimmy Neutron's interdimensional arch. Although, if magick couldn't handle it, why should science? For that matter, why Retroville? Why not Endsville or somewhere equally inane?

He tried again and again was shunted away, this time onto the outskirts of Brightsburg. All right, he got the hint. Changing into a human was out, because by his nature, everything he shifted into was too large and unusual not to attract attention. Whatever he changed into, it'd have to be something escaping notice but still capable of moving on foot. He doubted the magical barrier extended to creatures wandering into the city, just those trying to poof in.

Thus, he shifted into an osprey, not particularly caring whether they were indigenous. He was in the wrong state for idiots shooting at random animals and he was in a hurry. The fact the magical barrier existed at all sent up warning flags. Plus, Cosmo's taint, the fact he could no longer sense the faeries in Dimmsdale, and being shunted into Retroville. He didn't particularly care what became of the boy genius, but the fact there was a link to Retroville again was worrying. He had the feeling something had been diverting his attention and it infuriated him. Normally, he wasn't _this _far behind.

Flying overhead, he reached the Brightsburg/Dimmsdale city limit and hit an invisible wall. He 'saw' it with his mind's eye, but too late. Smashing into it with his chin, he crashed into a dumpster and grimaced, shifting into a child who, due to his side, looked like an adult. Climbing out of the dumpster, he stared at the bridge leading into Dimmsdale. The wall had knocked him back nearly a mile and his fury mounted. No one treated him like a plaything. _No one _pushed him around.

Altering his sneakers into rocket boots, again too angry to care about his appearance, he dashed along the bridge. Strange things happened in Dimmsdale all the time, things Timmy didn't bother to cover up. Now was not the time to slink about. Besides, who the hell had enough power, alone or combined, to knock Jorgen Von Strangle, the toughest fairy in the universe, off kilter? No one out-Strangled a Von Strangle.

Among the faeries, he was like a god…after Oberon and Titania, of course, but since they had retired, it fell upon him. He conjured up mental images of the struggles he'd endured after he assumed the mantle and came up with precious few where the challenger had survived very long. It honed his fury and sharpened it to a point, where he worked on his plan of action. He didn't favor subtlety, so his plan of action wasn't terribly complicated. He'd beat the tar out of anyone who stood in his way and then find the ringleader. There was always a head honcho and even the Fairy World Mafioso feared him, rightfully.

Halfway across the bridge, heat shimmered and created ripple effects. Oddly, the heat produced no actual temperature increase and he halted, peering through the haze. His feet dragged and it felt like someone had attached an anchor to his heels. Craning his neck, he searched for the source and located nothing. After a certain point, he discovered he could move backward, but not forward. Frustrated, he shifted into a bug on a windshield and an unknown force propelled him back to the midpoint.

Jorgen's temper rose again. He sprinted forward, his feet slowed, and he stopped dead. Cars passed like it was perfectly ordinary for an adult sized child to be repelled by an invisible barrier affecting only him.

Ducking inside an unoccupied security station, its windows shut, he pounded his wand upon the floor. The wand lit briefly and then died. Jorgen went cold and then snarled, pounding his wand again. This time, the wand remained dormant. In addition, the sensation of magic he had taken for granted had vanished too. He felt cut off, as if he'd suddenly and inexplicably lost his sight or hearing. Stunned, he stood within the too small security station and, for the first time in a long time, had no idea what he was supposed to do.

* * *

Juandissimo noticed Jorgen's presence, as all faeries in the area did. His magical command brought him to their attention, regardless of whether they were attempting to hide or not. He hadn't gotten very far- the half-breeds had done a better job than they suspected. No one could transit into Dimmsdale and no one could flee very far, unless they went to Fairy World, which wasn't an option. Right now, Juandissimo knew Jorgen was on the bridge and knew he ought to tell him what was going on, except he didn't normally take sides. Jorgen might not be able to act, either.

Nevertheless, curiosity and obligation compelled him to the bridge, where he watched Jorgen crash into the barrier repeatedly. For a split second, he saw darkness and it eclipsed his vision.

_Know ye the price of failure, Seleighe._

Shivering, Juandissimo chose to ignore the cryptic comment and crept as close as he dared, to the security station where Jorgen had hemmed himself in. His fur rippled and black streaks appeared, much like they had with Cosmo. The taint within him wanted to show where he really stood. He jerked his head. No, that was ridiculous. The taint wasn't a sentient being. The dark versus the light were childhood tales designed to scare the weak at heart.

He touched the security station's wall and a force jerked him by the neck.

_Juandissimo_. This voice was more readily identifiable, although it sent chills down his back.

_Juandissimo, you can't renege. A promise is a promise._

Juandissimo clamped his teeth on a desperate howl and what escaped was a whimper.

"Who's there?" Jorgen demanded.

_Unless you want Wanda and Remy tortured? I thought you loved them. How could you turn your back on them?_

"Jorgen!" he called. "It is I, Juandissimo Magnifico!"

_Remember your promise. __**Remember**__._

It wasn't Doombringer speaking to him, but a reflection of her. He shivered uncontrollably.

Battering sounds ensued and the door slammed a couple times on its hinges. Juandissimo backed up, expecting Jorgen to blast the door. That didn't happen, however, after a few more attempts, the door fell off the hinges entirely. Jorgen looked at it with disdain before facing Juandissimo, who shifted into a child form too. There should have been power emanating from Fairy World's leader. It was like facing a dead battery instead of a thunderclap. Juandissimo backed up again.

"This is a temporary condition," Jorgen said dismissively. He gaped. "You have been tainted too!"

A picture revealed itself in his mind. The invisible barrier opened, for a brief period of time, and it would permit only one person. He didn't know how he knew this, but he knew if he went through, Wanda and Remy might be spared Doombringer's wrath. But if Jorgen went through, he might be able to fix this…

_Make up your mind __**now**__._

Jorgen was powerless.

Juandissimo shifted into a dog again and bolted for the small doorway appearing in his mind's eye. Jorgen followed and his heart pounded in his throat. He thought Jorgen might be following, but he wasn't sure. As surely as he could see the doorway in his mind, he could see Wanda paying the price for his flight.

* * *

She returned to discover Remy had destroyed the wall and Wanda was lying, panting, on the counter near the microphone.

"You helped him."

Wanda straightened and stared at her. Doombringer almost had to admire her courage. Almost.

"I didn't," she said.

"You lie. You've been trained to help terrified human children. I knew you couldn't resist."

Wanda gestured through the two way mirror to Remy, standing, stunned, among the wreckage. "I didn't do that."

"I'm not an idiot," Doombringer said, her tone dripping venom. "I know what you're capable of. And it's time you were punished."

"I didn't help him!" Wanda snapped. "And even if I had, what would punishing me really do? You want our magic, fine, but you can't wring it from a corpse!"

Doombringer eyed her. She wasn't certain whether she ought to acknowledge her. Instead, she stared through the two way mirror to Remy, who had picked his way through the rubble and into the room he had opened. He was aghast and she smirked.

"If you're going to use my godson like you're using Remy, what's the point of having us here?" Wanda said.

Doombringer smiled and met Wanda's gaze. Wanda scooted back, her eyes wide and petrified. There was still courage and fortitude. It would be difficult to break her, if that were her goal.

"Backup and insurance," she said. "Plus, you have powers I want. And no, not the puny ones from your wands. The _real _power."

She picked Wanda up by her hair and dangled her above the floor. Wanda whimpered and swung back and forth, trying to gain leverage. Doombringer backhanded her.

"The true power of darkness, little faerie. Juandissimo's coming back. If you can escape my trap, you'll prove worthy. If you can't…you'll be a good example."

The last slap had been almost casual. This one was so hard it snapped Wanda into the counter and they heard a crack. Tears sprang and Wanda blanched, white with pain.

"Not used to being mistreated?" Doombringer whispered harshly and yanked on Wanda's wings. "Like ripping wings off of butterflies."

* * *

In olden times, they used to be able to feed off misery and pain. Now they didn't dare absorb it, but they sensed it around them. Anti-Wanda swore it was her counterpart, which sent chills down Anti-Cosmo's spine. Anti-faeries liked the darkness and cruelty, but chose only to harm humans. They had abandoned punishing their counterparts thousands of years ago when they joined Fairy World. Humans were always fair game, although killing them went beyond what anti-faeries should do. But still, this…

Anti-Cosmo struggled within the net and pried the bottom. It was stuck to the ground.

"Hello?" he called. "Anyone here? We stumbled into your net. The least you could do is haul us back in!"

The hallway was empty and Anti-Cosmo groaned. "This is absurd."

"I wonder what they're doing to her," Anti-Wanda said.

Magic didn't work. Anti-Cosmo grabbed Anti-Wanda's wand, ignored her yelp, and rubbed the sticks together. Magic or not, they were still wood. After a while, he generated enough friction and…yes!

The net caught fire, little sparks at first, and Anti-Cosmo continued rubbing the wands. The fire spread, breaking the magical hold it held over them, and he cast the net aside. Anti-Wanda scooted away from it, as if afraid she too might catch fire.

"It's time we spoke to whomever's in charge here," Anti-Cosmo said.

A scream split the air and Anti-Wanda collapsed beside him. The sense of being magically disconnected was gone and they were all too aware of the warehouse's other occupants. Anti-Cosmo held up his wand to poof to the scream's source and nothing happened. He grimaced. They'd have to head off on foot and hope not to run into any more butterfly nets.

He wished the damn things had never been invented.

* * *

Cosmo's mind kept returning to the statue. Dr. Ripped Studwell wasn't talking to him, although he'd occasionally fling him back into that horrible healing spring. He'd also tried dousing him with various chemicals, which made Cosmo smell and hadn't removed the taint. At this rate, he smelled like he'd been rolling around in the sewers. Studwell didn't know what to do about him and Cosmo didn't know either. And his mind returned to the statue.

There was a bust in their storage room with Mama Cosma's baleful eyes glaring at them. Cosmo had become aware of it over a year ago and, by some sheer coincidence, that was when his relationship with Wanda had gone downhill. He didn't understand it, why the telepathy had ebbed away and the comments he made stopped being funny. He always used to make her laugh. Now she wasn't laughing, but turning away and sometimes, he thought maybe she was hiding tears.

He was losing the connection between past and present. The being within him wanted control and Cosmo was never a fighter, not unless it really mattered, although he sensed now it did. He didn't know what to do, though. Usually, Wanda told him and now Wanda wasn't here. It was hard to hold onto the details; they slipped through his mind like water through an open hand.

And it scared him. It scared him that he might have been able to help Wanda and Timmy if only he remembered what was so important. Or remembered anything at all.

He thought of the statue again. Mama Cosma would know what to do. She wouldn't want to save Wanda, although Timmy might be a tossup. But she'd know what to do. Cosmo was overwhelmed, afraid his body might not be his again, and he hated how it felt like everyone had abandoned him. Tears welled up in his eyes.

Mama would know what to do. The statue. Wanda's hurt looks and those comments he kept making, even when they stopped being funny.

Cosmo landed in the water again and wailed, both from the pain and the indecision. It felt like a huge block had come up and devoured parts of his life.

"Mama! Wanda! Timmy!" he yelped and then remembered, belatedly, the last two needed him, not the other way around. Damn it, he'd screwed up again. The cleansing ritual burned and he still felt tainted, inside and out.


	23. Forged

Author's Note: Not proofread, so if there are any glaring problems, go yell at me. Or rather, don't, because I have enough crap in my life. School is kicking my ass, along with my mother in the hospital, and it's a strain to do everything I need to get done and have time for myself.

Whining over. I hope you enjoy the chapter. My mind is in a dark, twisted place. Also, tell me if the rating needs to be upped now…-_-

Chapter Twenty-Three: Forged

The being within him realized if matters weren't taken into its own hands, it might be annoyed to death. The ritual cleansing chipped away at it, but there was so much of it and so little of the water's actual effects. Its host proved putrescent too, grousing about a family and a relationship it had botched. The being only cared so long as it could manipulate him. To Cosmo's misfortune…and to the darkness's benefit, it knew how to recede until it appeared gone. Right now, that seemed its only option. Fairy World would only cease its ridiculous hunt when they thought they had succeeded…and the being had other desires, better uses of its time than being dunked in the magical equivalent of holy water.

If it could convince Cosmo to return to the darkness's source and undo what Fairy World had done so many years ago, everything would be unleashed. The half-breed's power would be restored to its rightful place, faeries would no longer rely solely upon the misbegotten powers of human ramblings, and then…his brethren could come out to play. They had waited so very long and were so very patient. The being couldn't deny them their feast.

For what were Fairy World and the light but succor for the true darkness within?

* * *

The world around her was on fire. Everywhere Wanda turned, flames erupted and scorched her surroundings. Towering infernos threatened her path across to freedom and smoke irritated her lungs, nostrils, and seemed to claw itself within her. Soot covered her and she coughed, wiping her face and adding more ash to the equation. The cough started a wracking fit and she stared around her. This was what she was supposed to use the dark magic to cure? It seemed more like this would be a side effect of using dark magic, not banishing the light.

Her legs quivered. She didn't know how much damage Doombringer had done when she had slapped her, although it felt considerable. It was hard to think with the flames around her, fire crackling, smoke filling the air, and her cheek throbbing. She wasn't sure she'd be able to conjure up a fire truck even with her wand in this circumstance, let alone delve within her and master the water element. Doombringer certainly had a knack for asking the impossible.

Then again…Remy had accomplished the impossible. And Remy was a human child, not ordinarily gifted with magic. Frowning, she thought of water, cool and refreshing. Unfortunately, the instant she did, the fire intruded on her concentration.

"Gimme a break!" she snapped. "How the heck do you expect me to conjure up water when-" she started coughing and couldn't stop. She looked up in the middle of her fit. There was an air duct above her…an air duct. Perhaps Doombringer didn't want her to conjure water after all.

Yet the thought of shifting into another creature terrified her almost more than lingering here, certain to burn to death. The last time Wanda had changed into an animal without her wand, it felt like her body was on fire to begin with. They weren't _meant _to use magic without their wands. That was why even faerie babies had magical pacifiers. Wanda shuddered and the flames swept in toward her. Judging by how quickly the fire was moving (but not scaling any higher), if she didn't change soon…she'd be one charbroiled faerie godparent.

The first thing popped into her mind was a hawk and, desperate, she focused on it. She discarded her current form and channeled her energy into being the hawk, seeing the hawk's feathers, its beak, feeling talons instead of toes and the slight weight it had compared to her normal guise. Her eyesight would diminish, discerning movement instead of colors and brilliant hues, and her teeth would vanish, leaving only a tongue and a sharp beak. At the end of her arms would be wings instead of on her back and she would have a tail…

She shot upward, feeling her bones melt away and reconfigure themselves. Darkness clouded her vision for a moment and she ignored it, ignored the unsettling weight upon her chest. She crashed into the air vent and hit the metal siding. Groaning, she straightened up…and air vent system activated, blowing her backward.

"Oh, come _on_!" she snapped.

Winds buffeted her and she thought of something heavy enough to stay in place without crashing to the floor. Nothing animal sprang to mind, although a block might stand a chance. But faeries couldn't shift into inanimate objects without a wand…couldn't…

Wanda chanced a look behind her and screamed. The fan was blowing her back toward a chute smelling unpleasantly like an incinerator. Panicking now, her thoughts a muddled mess, she scraped her talons against the vent's sides and imagined the heaviest animal she could think of. It didn't quite fit inside the chute and she crashed, changing in mid air into an elephant. The fall took so little time, considering how tall she'd made herself, and she landed on her knees.

The floor caved and she seemed to fall forever, although in reality it was probably only a few seconds. Screeching, she shifted again, back into the bird, and every change drew more energy than she thought possible. Struggling to stay aloft, she sought a safe haven in the room, which now lacked a floor entirely. She fought her way up and scanned the room. There was nothing. She wasn't going to be able to keep this form forever and once her wings tired…she'd drop back into the abyss.

((COSMO!)) she screamed, forgetting he couldn't hear her and she didn't know where he was. ((Help!))

Her wings flapped desperately and she realized in a few seconds it was hopeless. She plummeted through the hole in the floor.

Spinning in a whirling dervish, she fell through the darkness and was barely aware when she hit something soft and pliable. Panting, her chest constricted and feeling like her body was on fire, she stared helplessly above. She was wrapped in a cocoon and had no strength left to protest. Damn it, this wasn't fair. Doombringer hadn't restored her energy before setting her up for another trial. The only way to ensure she didn't end up spent was to tap into the primordial power and she couldn't do that. To do that would be irrevocable…

Minutes passed and she expected Doombringer to appear and taunt her. Nothing happened. Wanda rolled her head and sighed, feeling completely lost without Cosmo. The last time she had shifted without her wand, it had been _because _of Cosmo, in an effort to fight her way back to him. This separation was like losing a limb.

More time elapsed and she thought, perhaps belatedly, Doombringer might have several traps going at once. She moaned and imagined herself as a faerie again. Other than the excruciating burning sensation making her feel like she'd dashed into an open flame, nothing happened.

Faerie godparents, as a rule, did not curse. They had their charges to think of, after all.

That was why Wanda was exceedingly grateful no one could hear her swear a blue streak.

* * *

The cell vanished before his very eyes. It was replaced by the tropics, with mosquitoes buzzing by his ears and the heat somewhere in the nineties. Timmy's mouth dried out and he looked, by instinct, for his godparents. He was alone. He didn't even have his silly pink hat. In fact, he didn't have a sword, as he might have expected from his recent adventures in one of Jorgen's storybooks as Timmy the Barbarian.

"What gives?" he said. "Am I in one of Jorgen's stupid stories or not?"

There was no answer. Timmy waited a second and heard nothing, which meant he wasn't. Jorgen wouldn't have hesitated to announce himself and he never would have separated him from Cosmo and Wanda. For that matter, since Tootie was currently embroiled in the fiasco, she'd probably have been nearby too. Timmy's unease mounted. There was something very fishy going on.

"Survive."

Timmy swallowed, feeling a large lump in his throat. To his right, shimmering like a mirage, was a man with shoulder length brown hair. His piercing dark blue eyes hooked onto Timmy and he had a scar along his right cheek running from his eye to his mouth. He was wearing camouflage equipment and when his gaze landed upon Timmy, he smirked. His head was shaped rather familiarly, although Timmy couldn't place it.

"You're not my usual target," he said. "But the game is the same."

"Who the heck are you?" Timmy snapped.

The man threw something at him. Timmy caught it in his gut and unwrapped the paper around it. It was a computer pad, like the one he'd seen A.J. use. On it were pictures of his parents and he looked at the man for further explanation. The man was gone, like he had never been there. Instead, water dripped off leaves and mosquitoes continued to buzz. A bird called from an indeterminate distance.

The machine pinged and he looked down. The image had changed. Instead of his parents, hale and hearty, the screen displayed his parents chained to a wall on what looked like a live video feed. Someone in a hooded cloak was slicing off bits of skin while someone else held a match to the open wound. His parents screamed, high pitched and sounding more like animals than humans. Timmy's heart pounded and caught in his throat.

"Cosmo? Wanda?" he whimpered. There was no answer, much like Jorgen hadn't answered him earlier. Tears formed and he quivered.

"C'mon," he pleaded. "I can't _do _this on my own. I don't know where you went, random guy…but I need your help. I need _someone's _help."

The image changed again and the hooded figure looked straight into the camera.

"I know you have magic, faerie favoured," the figure hissed. "You will use it to free your parents and I will test your skills. If you cannot rescue them…"

The man sliced off part of his mother's cheek and Timmy thought he might be sick.

"Your godparents can't help you," he hissed. "No one can help you. Can you help yourself?"

Timmy retched and his words choked in his throat. What did they think he was? A miracle worker? He was only a ten-year-old kid. He couldn't save his parents without Cosmo and Wanda or any weapons. He didn't even know where they were…

The screen changed again, to reveal a map.

"Come along, Timmy Turner. Tempus fugit."

* * *

Tootie was no longer in the cell either. Instead, she stared at flashing red and blue lights. An ambulance was in front of her house and EMTs were walking a covered figure out on a stretcher. Doidle sat at Tootie's feet and whined. She stared at him, stunned, and then at a police officer walking toward her. Her body felt stiff, for some odd reason, and her movements, like her brain, were jerky and uncoordinated.

"You're the one who called 911?" the officer asked her. Tootie blinked. Her mouth had dried out and her eyes were gritty.

"Were you the one who called 911?" the office said. His voice was rough and Tootie focused on his sharp, penetrating gaze. He had dark blue eyes, almost black in the moonlight, and his body was lithe, not muscular, with a scar along his face from his eye to his mouth. He almost reminded Tootie of the Joker and she bit back a hysterical laugh. Why so serious?

"Ma'am, we're going to have to take you in for questioning," the officer said and Tootie blinked again.

"Why?" she said faintly.

"You're covered in blood," he said and she looked down. Her clothing was stiff, clinging to her, and she tasted blood on her tongue now that she thought about it.

"And the EMTs' preliminary report is that the victim bled to death."

"Who's the victim?" Tootie said, barely audible.

"You don't already know?" he said, giving her a strange look. "It's your sister, Vicky. You were the first one on the scene, the person who called 911, and there's been no one else in the area for the last few hours."

"I don't understand…"

The officer lifted her right hand. It was wrapped tightly around a butcher knife, dripping with blood.

"You're coming downtown," he said. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."

"Where's Timmy?" she murmured. "Wasn't I…somewhere else…"

"You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you."

Stunned, she swayed back and forth. "Timmy? Cosmo? Wanda? What's going on?"

The officer spun her around and locked the handcuffs on her wrists. She barely felt it. Instead, she stared at the ambulance. Why would they call an ambulance if Vicky was already dead? How could Vicky be dead? How could she have…she didn't remember…wasn't she supposed to be elsewhere?

The officer jerked her toward the car. His name, she saw, was Isaac Provanzano.


	24. Tempus Fugit

Author's Note: Happy March 15th! I'm really tired, thanks to various personal problems, but it's been over a month since I updated this and today would be the day. I hope you enjoy it. It is indeed a long one.

Also, this took some interesting twists for not having been written in a month.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Tempus Fugit

Tempus fugit. Latin for "time is fleeting". Time, in Tootie's case, was most definitely not fleeting. Rather than begin questioning her about a murder that she knew nothing about, Isaac Provanzano had flung her into a cell and left her to rot, sans the butcher knife and drenched in, presumably, her sister's blood. Timmy and his fairies were nowhere to be seen, neither was Doombringer's prison, and Tootie shivered, drawing her knees to her chest. To make matters worse, they had put her in a cell at the end of a long, empty block, so screams echoed but she had no one to talk to. Every once in a while, Provanzano would appear at the edge of the hallway, smirk, and then disappear. Tootie moaned.

How could anyone think she'd murdered Vicky? Vicky tormented her daily, ruined her life, and sometimes made Tootie cry for hours. But it took a certain type of person to kill someone and Tootie didn't have it in her. Unless Vicky had been threatening Timmy…but even then, Timmy had Cosmo and Wanda. Although, the last time, he hadn't had either. She groaned, rubbing her temples. If she wasn't careful, she'd give herself a headache.

Assuming this situation was more than it seemed, and the remote possibility it might be a test, what did Doombringer expect her to do? Knock down everyone in her path? Think of a way out? She wasn't like a certain boy genius that could summon a colossal thought pattern by stretching his brain. She had nothing. She had had Cosmo and Wanda once…and then lost them.

Was she supposed to remember having them? No, that was stupid.

"Wanna drop a hint?" she muttered, exasperated. On the other side of the bars, the arresting officer appeared and stared. She scowled.

"Don't you have other people to bother?" she grumbled.

"She really left you without any tools?" the man said derisively.

"So this _is _a test," she said, seizing upon the information. "Do you know what I should do? Then again…you're the one who arrested me. I guess you wouldn't know, but could you give me a hint? Anything?"

"You talk too much," he said. Looking at the bars and judging distances, he swung his arm and tossed an item into her lap.

"In for a penny, in for a pound," he said. "You'd better figure out how to use that soon."

She stared at the small package, neatly wrapped, on her lap. Fingering the bow, she moved to unwrap it and he cleared his throat.

"When I'm here, I'm surveillance," he said and then smiled. It was a cocky, somehow reassuring smile that reminded her of someone. Not Timmy…she blinked away the association, because it was dim and she wasn't sure she had all her facts.

"Then what am I-"

"You talk too much," he said. They stared at each other for a moment and then he gazed at a strange watch on his wrist. He popped open the top and scrolled through menus. It didn't look like standard issue for a police officer; it was too high tech. And the way he held himself...

Silence descended and she turned the package over. He continued ignoring her. After a lengthy intermission, the man sighed, shut the watch, and walked away. She waited until his footsteps had receded before launching herself at the package.

It looked like a GPS, but when she turned it on, after waiting for its start up procedure, it yielded an analysis of the surrounding walls and floor. There appeared to be an option for more information and she selected it. It looked mildly interesting, though what its possible use could be, she wasn't sure. Holding it up, she walked around her cell and it buzzed. It was then she realized that she didn't have a security camera. Weren't security cameras standard issue in holding cells?

By reflex, she looked over her shoulder, but the man wasn't there. Frowning, she brought the device closer to the wall. It didn't react and she shifted an inch. It buzzed again. Taking a chance, she rapped on the wall with her knuckles and it echoed. Tootie jumped. It was hollow!

The machine didn't have a way for her to move aside the wall and here, she presumed, was where she was supposed to use the magic she doubted she had. Frowning, she tucked the machine into her overalls (when was the last time she'd worn overalls?) and concentrated. This felt ridiculous, but she had no recourse. And if Provanzano were her aide, who knew how long he'd hold them off? She had the sinking sensation he wasn't looking out for her. The man gave off creepy vibes.

She imagined her hands covered in a shimmering, purple protective aura and then shoved. The wall crumpled instantly, with only a minor temperature hike. She stepped over the broken pieces…and then heard dogs and policemen. The wall sprang back into place, like it had never fallen.

"The wall's hollow in her cell!" she heard Provanzano shout. "She might have attempted escape."

Nope, she definitely couldn't trust him. She patted her bloody, now awkwardly wet and sticky, overall front pocket and raced down a blind alley. There didn't appear to be any obstructions in her path, which was good because the machine didn't provide any light. Her hands were still faintly glowing, which, although pretty cool, wasn't very helpful.

Heart pounding, she hoped Provanzano wouldn't send the hounds of hell after her immediately. What was the point in escaping? Was she supposed to solve the whodunit? He clearly had wanted to give her a fighting chance, hadn't he?

She thought too much. Shutting off errant thoughts, she pelted down the path and hoped for the best. She also hoped the path didn't end up in the mayor's office or the sewage system.

After a while, she realized the walls were luminous and kept her from bouncing into them. In the distance, the dogs echoed and she could hear angry boots pounding. Heart in her throat, she ignored her chest burning and the panic that all but overwhelmed her. What part of the test was this? The part where Doombringer saw whether she tripped and fell? Tootie gritted her teeth, resentment mounting. It was bad enough Vicky subjected her to this crap. Doombringer didn't have to add to it.

Unless she was doing it on purpose. Unless the magic they might have accumulated from their godparents was only unlocked a certain way. But surely, Doombringer couldn't have thought that far.

Eventually, this tunnel had to end. And, to Tootie's unhappily wrinkling nose, she realized where. The smell was distant, but it, like the dogs and the boots, threatened to approach faster than she was comfortable with. Shudders wracked her. Did every great escape culminate in a maze through the sewage tunnels? She was already covered in blood. How much more gruesome was she going to get? Gross!

"Just keep swimming," she muttered. Then she thought of what she might be swimming in and shuddered deeply. "Never mind."

* * *

Timmy Turner was lost, scratched up, petrified, and increasingly frustrated. Even at his worst moments, he had had Cosmo and Wanda. He tripped over something and cursed bitterly. The strange part was that the thing he had tripped over was soft, smelled faintly like baby powder, and had a random purple hair. Grumbling, he righted himself. That was the fifth thing he'd tripped over today.

"Stupid rain forest," he snapped. "They should clean it up."

"Poof?"

Timmy jumped and tripped backward, landing in the mud. "Poof?"

"Poof, poof!" The ball he had tripped over rose and had a note pinned to its chest. Timmy couldn't determine whether it was a boy or girl, its jumper matched its hair and eyes, and it had a crown above its head. Timmy staggered. A crown. But there _were _no fairy children.

Hands shaking, he ripped the note off (the baby whacked him on the head with its rattle). He read the note slowly.

"This is Poof," he said. "In the future, Poof will be your fairy god-brother. He's on loan in the time space continuum, so you'd better take good care of him. Also, he can't use magic unless you help him."

"What kinda name is _Poof_?" Timmy said.

"Timmy!" Poof said happily.

"Okay…" Timmy said. "So, you're Poof. And you already know who I am."

Poof nodded assertively and Timmy looked at the path before them. Or lack thereof. He groaned.

"I wish the path were clear!" he called. The letter, propelled by an unknown wind, smacked him in the face and the line "in the future" was underlined. He groaned again.

"You know, if you were gonna give me a fairy, you could have given me one that could grant wishes!" he snapped to the heavens. The heavens, naturally, didn't answer.

"Poof?" the baby said in what Timmy took to be an inquiring manner.

"Um…open sesame!" Timmy shouted and flung his arms out. Nothing happened. Poof floated by his head. Timmy tried again.

"Allee-allee oxen free!" Now he was beginning to feel rather foolish. Water dripped nearby and the heat rose. Grimacing, he wiped his forehead and stared at Poof.

"You can't, you know, just do something without my wishing, could you?" he said. Poof stared blankly. He had almost expected the baby to conjure up a copy of Da Rules and recite it to him.

"Darn it!" he snapped and kicked a rock. It hurt and he howled. Poof watched, bemused.

"Okay, so…" He imagined fire whipping through the rain forest. And then he remembered watching a special on devastation in forests and fire was among the worst. That wouldn't work. And thinking made his brain hurt. How could anyone expect him to think his way out?

Okay, well, that wasn't strictly true. Thinking only made his brain hurt when he was being lazy and it was a particularly complicated subject matter. He could be clever, if he wanted to be.

Maybe…maybe Poof was like a channel? The note had said Poof couldn't use magic unless Timmy helped him. Maybe Poof…had to shoot his magic through Timmy? Poof shook his rattle and a rabbit appeared. No, that wasn't right. Was it…the other way around? Maybe Timmy had to power up with Poof?

"Wishing would be easier," he grumbled. He imagined himself as a swashbuckling adventurer and pictured himself with a bayonet to sweep aside this pesky wildlife. He considered giving himself a gun too, but he wasn't sure he could handle it. And he was only ten. The bayonet would be sufficient.

He held the image in his mind. The steel would be bright and flashy, the handle plain brown, but firm in his grasp. It'd fit within a sword case on his waist, also brown and plain, scuffed from his many bayonet battles. Yeah, that made perfect sense. He'd also be wearing a safari hat, with tan khakis and a tan t-shirt, along with brick hiking boots. There would be a canteen full of water slung across his chest. It'd have beads of condensation and the silver container would be cool to the touch.

Around him, birds chirped, water dripped, and the mud squished under foot. The temperature grew uncomfortable, in the mid to high 80s, and a toucan squawked indignantly. His mouth was drying out and sweat trickled down his neck.

"Poof?"

Timmy opened his eyes. His regular outfit had vanished; everything he had pictured he now wore and Poof had a miniature version. Timmy smiled, growing fond of the baby already.

"So…how old am I when I wish for you?" Timmy asked.

Poof stared. Timmy wasn't sure if he didn't know or he didn't know how to answer. He shrugged. Not important.

Although there was a horrifying scene awaiting him, his spirits had lifted. Having any fairy at his side, particularly one related to Cosmo and Wanda, made him feel a teensy bit protected.

He tried to shove the disgusting image out of his mind and focused on the small bundle floating over his shoulder. He was the chubbiest baby Timmy had ever seen and the fairy dust seemed thickest on his pacifier. Timmy shuddered again. Fairy dust had drawn Doombringer to him. Best not to think about that either.

"So…" he said. "Ugh, what am I doing? I can't have a conversation with a baby."

He paused. "Maybe if I wished for- that's right. Can't wish for anything."

He wiped aside foliage with his bayonet. Poof was quiet, unlike his parents. If Cosmo and Wanda were here, they'd be offering him running commentary. His lips twitched. It was amazing how much he missed them. He knew he hadn't been treating them right, even though he hadn't felt like it mattered, and his heart ached. Once they got out of this mess, even if he wished everything were back to normal, he'd treat them better. He vowed it.

He had no idea how much further it was to his parents. The next swash brought him to wooden stairs descending from the forest floor. Timmy looked at Poof.

"What do you think, Poof?"

Poof looked dubiously at the stairs.

"What's the worst that could happen?" he reasoned.

Poof gave him a Wanda look of disapproval. It was so much like her, albeit on a much younger face, that it startled him. Then he smirked.

"I didn't listen to Wanda and I'm sure as heck not gonna listen to you," he said. "Or take your stare. Whatever."

He forced a laugh. "Besides, it beats walking around getting bitten and dripped on."

"Poof," Poof sighed.

"Don't look at me like that."

* * *

Low on magic, Jorgen was forced to glower through the invisible magical curtain into the city. No one could see them, apparently, but that didn't alleviate Jorgen's nerves. Then he looked around for Juandissimo. He slammed his powerless wand into the ground and kicked the barrier, only to be sent sprawling back a couple feet. This was preposterous. Would he have to be tainted to get in?

The growing suspicion things were far worse than he had anticipated mounted his frustration. There was nothing to be gained prowling the perimeter and now that Juandissimo had deserted him, he had no leads. Anything within the perimeter was a magical null zone- he could tell without his wand. Nothing involving fairy godparents was going on. Damn it, he had to find out what it was.

Brute force didn't work. Jorgen wasn't very good at subterfuge, which was probably why he couldn't, for the life of him, contemplate anything involving spying. Besides, that'd involve speaking with someone on the inside. And Juandissimo…when he got his hands on that puny little fairy, his looks would be the last thing he'd be worried about.

Not that threatening or posturing would do any good. Maybe he should try digging? Except there was asphalt here…he shook his wand and a couple sparks shot off. He sensed faint power, emanating from a source he wouldn't normally consider. He didn't associate with half faeries on general principle, but they were the only creatures, aside from the tainted ones, able to escape. He had enough magic to detect them.

He would have to wait until one of them appeared and plan accordingly. He had to throttle his urge to kick and scream until something gave. He also had to throttle his urge to track down Juandissimo and strangle him to within an inch of his life. One didn't become ruler of Fairy World by knocking down everyone in his path…although it was a very tempting option most days.

* * *

For an indeterminate amount of time, Wanda simply rested on her pad and waited. She tried to send messages to Cosmo, who hadn't received in months, and she wished she could move. There was no strength left, only whispers of magic. Tossing her head from side to side, she kept her eyes shut and wished she could fade away. She hadn't felt this wretched in thousands of years. And even then, she'd been with Cosmo.

There was nothing to do but wait, either. She wasn't strong enough to move or call out. There was a solution for that too…one that she was still too terrified to utilize. The last time a liosalfar had used the ley lines Overhill things had not gone well. And while she knew fairies had more magic than elves, it wasn't worth the risk. Ley lines were linked to dark magic and dark magic…

But she could refill herself with the ley lines if she chose. And then maybe she could get the hell out of here and find help.

She shuddered and groped. At first, nothing happened. It was like breaking through thick ice. Then a small crack appeared.

Breaths coming in little spurts, she focused on widening the gap. The ley lines might have tainted her already in attempting to flee and Jorgen wouldn't be pleased, but she had no choice. She sent a questing magical lure into the ley lines and power slowly filtered into her body. The whispers gradually increased in pitch.

No. She was wrong. She shouldn't use the magic to escape. She should use to find Timmy, Tootie, and Remy. Then she would escape. It wasn't fair to abandon children to this monster.

She exhaled shakily. Once she opened herself up to the ley lines, she should be able to access them at leisure. The warehouse stood on a massive well and her head cleared. It was a matter of escaping Doombringer's trap. There was a chance this might be part of her plan too, in which case Wanda was playing right into her hands. She'd have to hope for the best.

Once she felt almost back to normal, albeit with a headache and a trifle sluggish, she shifted into a bird and flew straight up into the air duct that had nearly killed her. She shoved aside the blower and dashed headlong in the passage. Although air ruffled her feathers, it was nothing like the previous blast. She felt raw, nerves on fire, and missed her wand fiercely. Drinking in the ley lines was like absorbing whiskey. In the end, she'd wind up with severe side effects, but what they were, she didn't know. The knowledge she had of the ley lines derived from books her father had 'borrowed' and talking about it was discouraged.

She'd need to draw in more power to tell where the children were. Dare she? Did she have a choice? Shaking nervously, she opened herself up completely. The hounds of hell were already at her gate. What did it matter if she let them in? All hell had broken loose.

She sent up a brief prayer to Oberon and Titania she wasn't playing right into Doombringer's hands.

* * *

Of all the insipid, putrescent things that could have possibly happened to her, Doombringer was now trapped in traffic. It was bumper to bumper, as if the humans had somehow scented the magical predicament and were attempting to leave the city. She sensed a fairy near the bridge and it set her teeth on edge. The barrier the half-breeds had put in place wouldn't stand against him and he shouldn't be here. She exhaled in a short burst.

"Shit."

The last thing she wanted right now was Jorgen's attention. She wanted Fairy World to notice after things had gone too far. She hadn't even used the children to her advantage yet. Plus, with this godforsaken traffic, she might as well run for all the good sitting in her car did.

But she didn't dare abandon the car. Jorgen's powers were regenerating, despite the shield, and she knew he derived his powers from something far more extensive than her own store. If she could tap into the ley lines, that wouldn't be a problem. But she wasn't even a half-breed; she had fey blood somewhere in her ancestry, enough to detect them and know more than she should, but not enough to help. She banged her fists on the steering wheel. Should Jorgen find her right now, she'd be screwed.

The line moved slowly, at a snail's pace, and a figure within the supposedly locked security stations looked out. It was a giant of a man, at least ten feet tall, with grey hair in a crew cut. His gaze sent chills down her spine.

To make matters worse, as if this were possible, she thought she heard raving.

Craning her neck, she turned. Crocker was to her rear.

"March 15th!" he screamed. "The worst day ever! FAIRY GODPARENTS! Fairies are real! They exist and they're chock full of magic! FAIRIES!"

The figure within the security station had his eyes trained on Crocker, not her anymore, and she heaved a jagged sigh. Fairy World already knew about Crocker. He posed no threat to her mission and all the more gain if he were arrested for disturbing the peace.

"Fairies!" he screamed and then launched himself at her front door. "You look like you believe in fairies. Ooh, are those butterfly nets?"

In her backseat, indeed there were butterfly nets. Crocker flung his arm in through her open front window and Doombringer hastily shut the window on his arm. Yelping in pain, he yanked his arm back and stared mournfully at the nets. She could almost see his lower lip quivering.

The figure in the security station had vanished. A horrible feeling began in the pit of her stomach. She could be wrong, since fairies dealt mainly with children and the occasionally greedy adult, but when plans started to go sour, she usually knew.

Shutting her eyes and bracing herself, she waited until Crocker went back to his insanity van and listened to the traffic, along with people screaming and ranting and raving. She shouldn't have taken the bridge to get back to the warehouses, which were on the outskirts of town. People fey touched always knew when there was trouble and Dimmsdale had had too many fairy godparents over the years not to get a whiff of it. Either that, or something was going on in Brightsburg she didn't know about. In either case, she was hemmed in.

She reached for her mp3 player and felt a strange indentation on the back. The white front had been untouched, but the back had a dent near the bottom. There were no other abrasions, nothing to indicate abuse, and she certainly couldn't say the thing had been bugged. Still, it, along with Crocker linking her to him and Jorgen's untimely appearance, made her very wary. If she weren't so attached to the damn mp3 player, she might have pitched it over the side of the bridge…

She almost wished people would pitch their cars over there and that way, the traffic would move. This was ridiculous. She didn't know what was going on with any of her test subjects and she wouldn't know until she reached the warehouse. For all she knew, she had new tests to set and record. And half-breeds weren't entirely reliable. They were all self-serving smug bastards.

Frustrated to no end, she leaned on the horn and honked. No less than ten people retaliated. It didn't make her feel much better, but the irritation she caused people amused her.

* * *

They found out about one of the warehouse's occupants in an interesting way when she fell out of an air duct and in front of them.

Covered in dust, her hair with black streaks, Wanda panted. Anti Cosmo and Anti Wanda raced to her.

"What happened to _you_?" Anti Wanda said.

Anti Cosmo propped Wanda up and her skin was hot to the touch. She grabbed Anti Cosmo's wand and held it up. It glowed and her appearance stayed the same, although the dust vanished. She was shaking so badly, she couldn't have stood at all without Anti Cosmo's help. And yet, he could feel her brimming with magic.

"What are _you _doing here?" Wanda replied.

"We got bored and decided to find out what you, Timothy, and Cosmo were doing," Anti Cosmo said. "I don't suppose they're about."

"They're around," Wanda said vaguely. She had a haunted look, like someone was following her, and Anti Cosmo looked up at the air duct. There was nothing to suggest she was a fugitive, but there was no evidence to the contrary, either.

"Shall you give us a tour?" Anti Cosmo asked. Wanda slumped in his arms.

"Maybe we should find her a bed," Anti Wanda said.

Wanda grabbed Anti Cosmo by the collar. A fierce strength lit up her pink eyes. "Find Timmy. He's with Tootie. I don't know where Juandissimo is, but his godchild is trapped in here."

"Trapped?" Anti Cosmo repeated.

"In butterfly nets?" Anti Wanda said blankly.

"No," Wanda said. Anti Cosmo could feel darkness within her and it made him smile. Finally, he'd have the intelligent counterpart he'd wanted all along.

"Lead us to them," Anti Cosmo said.

"I don't know where they are," she said. "Something's blocking them."

"This place grows more interesting by the minute," Anti Cosmo said. He wrapped his arms around Wanda's shoulders; Anti Wanda hadn't noticed. "Shall we see what wonders this place has in store?"


	25. Cold Day In

Author's Note: I've had the term from hell, as I'm sure you know. Now that school is out, I'll have more time to write. :D

This chapter was written April 19th and edited today, with additions made. I'll try to update on a more regular basis, but, like I've said before, I can't promise anything.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Cold Day In...

The tunnel Timmy descended into with Poof was dark and dank, with an overpowering rotting smell. Poof provided light with his pacifier and Timmy pulled his collar over his nose to stifle the smell. Underneath his feet were stone tile fragments, most reduced to pebbles and impossible to determine any design. The incessant dripping from the ceiling resulted in occasional showers and dust accumulated on his boots. Unable to see the walls, he felt claustrophobic. His heart pounded.

"So, uh…" Timmy attempted to make small talk with a baby. "You're my fairy godbrother."

"Poof," Poof asserted unhappily. Maybe he didn't like being Timmy's godbrother. Or maybe he was just bummed because the ceiling was disturbingly close to their heads. Something flickered in Timmy's edge of sight, and Timmy touched the machete at his hip.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Poof, poof," Poof said, grating on Timmy's nerves. Realizing he wasn't going to get a decent response, he advanced, trembling.

"Hello? Uh, hi? We're not here to ruin your house or whatever it is. We're just trying to get through," Timmy said. Beady bright green eyes stared at them from the darkness. Timmy laughed nervously.

"Cosmo, you idiot!" he said. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

A scaly something propelled itself at him and snapped its teeth at Timmy's throat. The color drained from his face and certain parts of his body retracted. Its baleful green eyes were darker than Cosmo's and it lacked a crown. Licking its lips terrifyingly close to Timmy's throat, its sharp teeth gleamed off Poof's makeshift light. Heart pounding, Timmy drew the only reasonable conclusion. It wasn't Cosmo. It was an alligator. And it was crushing him.

"Poof, poof!" Poof smacked the alligator with his rattle and the alligator glanced at him briefly, a minor annoyance. Then it turned back to Timmy and licked its lips again. Timmy whimpered.

Maybe…maybe this was some sort of test. Surely Doombringer didn't want him to be alligator meat before he did whatever it was she wanted him to do.

"Okay, now would be a really good time to explain what the heck is going on!" he cried. Ahead, there was a steady drip of water and the noxious smell of something rotting. Cosmo and Wanda didn't show up to bail him out. Timmy squirmed, as best he could with the alligator rapidly squeezing the breath out of his lungs. He reached for his machete and couldn't angle it right; the alligator whirled, laying its tail across Timmy's body and its legs on his arms and legs.

At times like these, Cosmo and Wanda would appear and make everything better. Poof was floating there, close to useless, and Timmy thought their names frantically. The alligator leaned on Timmy's chest and stole his breath. He shivered uncontrollably, suppressing the urge to whimper because it wouldn't get through anyway.

His head spun. His attention span, always short, wasn't helping him when it was hard to think. Black spots appeared before his eyes and he saw Poof shoot a magical beam at the alligator. It bounced off his hide and broke a stalactite on the ceiling. Timmy heard it crash into the floor. Hysterical laughter burned his throat. Thanks, Poof. He felt a lot better knowing he had his back.

Summoning what little strength he had left, he dug around for his knife, which miraculously appeared in his hands. He shoved upward, with what felt like a paltry effort, and the machete cut through the alligator as if he were melted butter. The alligator's insides parted like he had cut plastic and Poof gave an appreciative 'ooh'.

The world spun and Poof shifted back and forth in the air. The black spots in Timmy's vision prohibited him from telling what it was. Beneath his body, the world trembled and Timmy hoped it was an aftereffect of nerves and not a sign things were about to get worse. He had enough of things getting worse. Who the hell sent a boy to save the world without his godparents? And with a baby helper? Against a…what it was.

The air burned entering his lungs and he shuddered. Curling onto his side, he waited for everything to return to normal. Something bounced him and he clenched his eyes shut. Determination to ignore the weirdness worked in other situations, didn't it? Not necessarily in magical ones, but…bounce. BOUNCE. Whatever it was seemed insistent he not ignore it.

"You're in my house," a nasty voice growled. "You're in my house and you killed my pet. And I want to know what you intend to do about it."

Reluctantly, Timmy rolled over and opened his eyes. He looked up…and up. The figure standing over him brushed the top of the ceiling with his long, shaggy brown hair. His eyes were deep brown and currently part of an expression suiting a homicidal murderer. His hair and his beard flowed, concealing his mouth and most of his face aside from those unpleasant eyes. He wore a long sleeved tree trunk brown shirt with several stains Timmy sincerely hoped weren't blood on his breast pocket. The shirt met green pants, cut off at the bottom, and then his gaze was drawn to the axe in the man's hand. Poof jumped in front of Timmy.

"Seleighe," the man scoffed. "I should have known."

"What? What the heck are you talking about?" Timmy temporarily forgot he was at the giant's mercy.

"Bright Court," the troll said and then, because Timmy still gave him a mystified look, added, "Light-blessed. Touched by the faeries of Fairy World."

"Well, duh," he said. What other kinds of faeries _were _there?

The giant raised his axe and Timmy gulped, abruptly remembering he might be in mortal danger. Poof continued to float over his head and Timmy ignored him. After all, Poof hadn't been much help before. Then again, he didn't know why he had him, anyway. It wasn't like Doombringer had decided to help him out.

If the guy was that upset his pet had split like butter and then disappeared on the spot, why hadn't he said more? What _was _that thing, anyway? And why did the man need an axe if he had his pet? Well, he didn't have his pet anymore, but…

"I am not of the Bright Court," the troll said and then smiled. He was missing several teeth. "I have no compunctions about killing a child or his faerie friend."

"That's great, dude," Timmy said. "We really didn't mean to kill your whatever it is, and we're really, really sorry. We're trying to find my parents and-"

"I don't care," the troll growled, jarring them.

"If you just let us go, we'll be on our way and we won't bother you ever again," Timmy said. "I promise. I swear on my GPA."

Poof gave him a strange look and Timmy smiled, chagrined. Hey, the giant didn't need to know average in Timmy's world translated into a sea of failure.

"There _is _something you can do for me," the troll relented and lowered his axe. Timmy and Poof breathed easier.

"Does it involve running really fast and getting away from here?" Timmy said and smiled. Somehow, he sincerely doubted it.

"It's a noble quest," the troll said. "Bring me the head of the clan chief and we will consider your transgression forgotten."

"How do you know I'm not gonna walk out of here and never come back?" Timmy said. The troll smiled and golden ropes materialized. They wrapped around Poof, who tried blasting them with his pacifier to no avail. Then the ropes turned into a net and Poof, looking thoroughly miserable, stared out from underneath a golden butterfly net. Timmy reached for the net to free him and the troll shoved the axe in his face.

"It's been a long time since I tasted a faerie baby," the troll said. Timmy doubted he was joking. His heart pounded painfully in his chest.

"What about a candy bar for Poof?" Timmy suggested and pulled the melted confection out of his pocket. The wrapper was dented in several places and he wasn't sure how old the candy bar was. He wasn't sure Vicky hadn't given it to him and laced it with poison. "Sweet, tooth rotting goodness."

The troll pointed at Poof and smiled. "Sweet, tooth rotting goodness."

Timmy and Poof whimpered. Desperate, Poof grabbed the bottom of the net and it burned his hands. Cradling them to his chest, Poof stared at Timmy with wide purple eyes that begged him for freedom. Somehow, Timmy doubted Cosmo and Wanda, future or present, would take the loss of their son to a faerie eating giant well. And it wasn't like Timmy to leave someone behind, no matter who they were. Well, maybe Vicky…

"How the heck am I supposed to find this clan chief?" Timmy said. He wasn't going to think about beheading him right now. Or what would happen if he delayed for too long and his parents suffered because of it. Then he might get nervous. Or he might already be nervous and be rambling in his head to compensate for it. No pressure, right? Cosmo and Wanda were captured, presumably, and his parents were being…something he didn't want to think about. And now his future godbrother…okay, he wasn't going to panic.

"The clan chief is entertaining guests at the far end of the forest," the troll said. "Go. The longer you stay and dally with me, the sooner he'll know I'm onto him."

"Uh, how the heck is he supposed to know you're onto him when you live underground?" Timmy pointed out. The troll's expression darkened and he advanced, prompting Timmy to retreat.

"He knows," the troll said. "Now get out of my sight."

Casting one final glance upon Poof, who was pretty brave for someone being held hostage, he backed up and then bolted down the hallway. There was no light, so he had to rely on memory to determine which way to go. Thankfully, he hadn't branched off once he got downstairs, so it was a straight line. He had to get this done and the sooner the better.

And the longer he waited…the greater the chance his parents were…

Timmy gulped. He didn't want to complete that sentence.

* * *

After a while, her nose was immured to the smells around her. She didn't think she'd ever get the stench out of her clothing, but she planned on burning it anyway. Hopefully, by the time she reached a safe haven and could consider burning them, any opposition would be miles away.

Her boots echoed on the pavement and she ran, uncertain for a while whether the pounding was her feet or pursuit. When finally she couldn't run any longer, she stopped and panted, ears cocked and almost positive there was someone breathing down her neck. There wasn't. Alone in a dripping, oozing underground stink hole, Tootie could finally relax somewhat.

The sewer system stretched on for what felt like eternity and, after she realized she could walk, she lapsed into thought. Unfortunately, due to the system's length and the situation, she had too much to mull over.

Obviously, she hadn't murdered her sister, but if she hadn't, then who had? Who was to say Vicky was really dead? Vicky was the type of person to fake her own death. Tootie halted. Vicky would love to fake her own death, blame someone else for it, and then take off to do what she really intended. But what could Vicky possibly gain from pretending to be dead?

It had something to do with Timmy, no doubt. Tootie's thoughts always ran to Timmy. But Vicky did plenty of things to Timmy without Tootie there. It had to be something big, something Tootie would freak out over. But what? Tootie didn't think Vicky knew about Cosmo and Wanda, unless, in this weird play of events, she suddenly did. And if she knew about them, she could be counted upon to exploit them.

Tootie's stomach roiled. Pain lanced through her head and she saw, in her mind's eye, Cosmo and Wanda inside a birdcage with Vicky swinging it back and forth.

"_They have wings, don't they? Anything with wings can be bought and sold."_

Chilled, Tootie shoved the half memory out of her mind. It'd be painful to produce the rest and besides, Tootie had a sinking sensation she knew how it had ended. How it had to have ended. Doombringer's tricks were working, if she had triggered this. And that meant no matter what was really going on, Tootie was still a pawn. And, by that token, so was Timmy.

She wished she had something useful. Seeing hollowed out walls wasn't going to be helpful where she was going. The police would be swarming the block, there'd be no coverage, and everyone would expect an escaped felon to head straight for the crime scene. Plus, Isaac Provanzano, the creepy piece of work, would probably be lurking. She couldn't figure him out- he'd helped and yet sicced the other policemen on her too. She wanted to avoid him if he could.

All of this was assuming Vicky was still alive and Tootie could find out the truth. If Vicky wasn't alive, then, forgive the pun, Tootie was making a grave mistake. Still, she couldn't see any other option. She'd have to do what she could and hope for the best. It wasn't like she had faerie godparents to help her out…anymore. The half memory returned and she shuddered, chilled from within. She could only imagine the ending.

Up ahead was a service ladder and she hastened toward it. Above, the cover was slightly off and scant moonlight filtered through. She smelled fresh air, a relief, and for a moment, she assessed her plan. The police would be everywhere, but they might be asleep on the job. No one noticed all the really weird things Timmy did in Dimmsdale and there was a chance she could get through without being noticed…she hoped. She had to do this, to find out what was really going on, before someone paid for her indecision.

She saw, for a half second, Wanda as a bird squawking as Vicky yanked her out of the birdcage and squeezed her tightly. Tootie swallowed past a lump in her throat and she amended her statement. Before someone she loved paid for her indecision.

Splashing through what she hoped was water, she grabbed onto the rungs and hauled herself up. The rungs were slick, partially rusted, and she caught herself a couple times before she fell back. It was bad enough the smell clung to her clothing and she had probably stepped in something foul. Bathing in it was out of the question.

The part of the rung that wasn't slippery was gritty and she knew she'd need a shower soon. One hand over the other, one foot over the other, and the trip upward took far longer than she liked. Her heart pounded- she thought for an instant she heard boots slapping the pavement, but it was only her harsh, anxious breathing. Before this was over, she'd end up paranoid. Or worse, if she couldn't save Timmy.

For a second, she clung to the top rung and stared at the bright moon overhead. Fresh night air blew over her head and she didn't see any traffic. She vaulted up and over, replacing the cover. This sewer outlet led to an alleyway she didn't recognize, but she had to be in Dimmsdale. For one thing, it was unlikely the sewer went all the way to Brightsburg. For another, if it had, she was screwed.

Brushing herself off, she patted her pocket for the now useless device and looked for an exit. To her right was a dumpster with garbage bags piled beside it and the back exit to a restaurant. There was a small, faded sign above the door and she stepped closer. Il Maestro dead-ended the alley. The outdoor seating arrangements were to her right and there were trees and shrubbery on her left.

She tried to orient herself and realized she was in the south end of town. She'd have to miraculously go across town without anyone noticing her or returning her to custody. The advantage was that it was night. She might be able to make it…she wished she had magic. Was this part of the test? But she was smelly, bloody, and frightened. How was she supposed to turn herself invisible?

She thought about the fantasy novels she had read. Faeries didn't always turn themselves invisible- they bent the gaze away, so that it didn't see anything it didn't expect. It wasn't like she wasn't there, but that people wouldn't see her because they weren't looking for her. She'd blend into the scenery unless someone knocked into her. It was a neat trick, one she'd always envied, and one she wasn't sure she could pull off.

She stared at the dumpster behind her and frowned. How the hell did someone become 'one with the dumpster'? Shutting her eyes, she imagined she was no one worth noticing. In fantasy novels, sometimes that person would end up in brown clothing, with brown eyes and brown hair, and a plain face. Palms sweating, she imagined herself as an orderly. Her sister had served as a candy striper in a hospital (god help them) and she could picture it well enough.

When she opened her eyes, she didn't see any difference. Disappointed, she walked onto the main street. The streetlights were on and there weren't many people milling about. The moon's position in the sky suggested eleven p.m., but she wasn't certain. Before now, she hadn't spent much time caring where the sun and moon were and what that meant.

She stuck to the shadows and listened for people. Most businesses were closed and there was no reason for people to linger. Presumably, it was a weeknight and this explained the empty streets, but Tootie couldn't be certain. There was something off about the whole situation. Whatever it was, it wasn't important right now. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and thinking about what she might have to expect when she encountered Vicky.

The problem was she couldn't quite think of what Vicky might do that she wouldn't do in front of Tootie. She had come close to killing Timmy several times and showed no remorse. How could Tootie prevent her from hurting Timmy? She was smaller, she didn't have Timmy's backbone, and Vicky generally got her way.

One foot in front of the other. She had magic, but she didn't know its limits or what she could really do. And she had no real plan, aside from "stop Vicky". That wasn't going to win her any awards.

Timmy's idiom came to mind- "What could possibly go wrong?"

She almost smiled. Her poor, naïve Timmy. What was Vicky doing to him?

* * *

After hours of camping out, something finally happened. A half-breed, disguised as a rabbit, hopped near the barrier. Jorgen seized it and squeezed until it shrieked. Finally, something he expected to happen did and, for a moment, he savored the puny mixed blood's fear. It was so nice to be feared instead of powerless.

"Jorgen!" the half-breed squealed, twisting in his hands to stare at Fairy World's leader. His light brown eyes quivered and he fidgeted, although that might have just been the form he took.

"You will help me get inside," Jorgen growled. "Are we clear?"

"I…"

"You. Will. Help. Me," Jorgen snarled. "Or you will have my fist hugging your trachea for an uncomfortably long time."

"I don't…" Jorgen released pressure for the rabbit to speak and it gulped down air like it was going out of style.

"I don't know how…" he whimpered.

"Yes, you do," he hissed. The rabbit blinked rapidly, tears brimming to the surface, and Jorgen almost tossed him aside. The cowardice reminded him of Cosmo and it irritated him. The barrier shimmered and Jorgen shoved his way inside upon one of the flickers. Once inside, the barrier reinstated itself and propelled him and the rabbit about ten feet. Jorgen could feel his strength returning.

Smiling coldly, he tossed the rabbit aside. "The first time a half-breed was ever useful for anything."

"She won't…she won't let you get near them…" the half-breed protested.

"Get near who?" Jorgen said. His eyes flashed.

"Cosmo…and Wanda…and Juandissimo…" the half-breed whimpered. "And…and…the others."

"_There are others?"_ Jorgen roared.

The rabbit half-breed was beside himself with fright. He cowered in a ball and trembled. Jorgen was fairly certain he had wet himself. He scoffed. He didn't care what some puny human thought she would do to stop him. Faeries were his jurisdiction and it was his duty to ensure they were protected.

Failing that, it was his job to ensure all of humanity didn't know about faeries. One human was bad enough, but a greedy one was unforgiveable. If she was canny enough to employ half-breeds, she might be onto things best left unsaid.

He'd find out exactly what she was onto, too, and ensure she didn't remember it. There was nothing more dangerous than an information leak, unless it also involved captive faeries. Thankfully, Cosmo was back in Fairy World's custody, but Wanda…Jorgen remembered the meeting they'd had to have the one time she'd resorted to dark magic. If Wanda gave into the darkness, they'd have a real situation on their hands. Jorgen didn't want to think about it…he'd worry about it when it came up.

In the meanwhile, he flexed his fingers and enjoyed the magic flowing through him. If his power hadn't announced his presence, he should try to sneak into the complex.

He sniffed. He smelled anti-faerie. Things were just getting better and better, weren't they?

Timmy Turner had to have something to do with it. If Cosmo and Wanda were involved, Timmy couldn't be far behind.

* * *

Wanda wasn't a great tour guide. She kept lapsing into thought, the painful magic jolting her back and keeping her from thinking about she really needed to focus on. Each hallway looked like the other and she couldn't pinpoint where the other faeries might be with her wand. Anti Cosmo was rambling, Anti Wanda was making inane comments and she felt like she might keel over.

But she had to find Timmy and Tootie. It was imperative. As soon as she did that, and located Remy too, she could rest.

_And miles to go before I sleep…_


	26. As the Fey Turns

Author's Note: Sorry. My mom was in and out of the hospital, finals came up, and I've been lacking motivation. And then I saw the promo for the FOP live action movie and decided it'd been too long since I updated.

So here's a long one. Also, because of the way the plot twisted, I have less plots to keep track of! YAY! I was starting to forget what was going on. (sweatdrop)

Please read and review! Yep. Also, you should try proofreading during Game of Thrones. XD It was…interesting.

Chapter Twenty-Six: As the Fey Turns

The deeper Timmy journeyed into the rain forest, the more he grew certain of two things. One, he would have loved a map. And two…there were things crawling and screeching he would not like to run into. This was the first time in a long, long time he was completely on his own and he reminded himself not to panic. He had no map, no directions, and only the vaguest sense of 'this is the right way'. Plus, after he found the clan chief, he was supposed to 'bring him his head'. Timmy had never murdered anything outside of a video game. Not to mention his parents might be in a completely different area and…

"Cosmo? Wanda?" he called. He doubted they'd answer, but he had to hope. "Guys? Anybody?"

Water dripped onto the leaves and a bird hooted nearby. Something slithered along and crackled dried and dead leaves. He stood perfectly still. Something hissed past his head, he jumped, and his godparents remained MIA. Shuddering, he continued along a beaten path with vegetation growing in random spots.

He traveled for an indeterminate amount of time. In his left front pocket, he found a compass, which might have been helpful if he had a direction. Groaning, he flung it away and smacked a few branches aside with his machete to quell his frustration. The path seemed endless; he had no guidance, and…were those distant screams? His stomach churned and he picked up the pace. In video games, if you ran _toward _the thing screaming, you'd usually find a boss. He wished he had battle armor and some really cool gear. He felt exposed and vulnerable.

Branches knocked his hat askew and he grimaced, turning to fix it. A tan colored, furry creature whipped past his left arm, and completely spun him around. He heard terrified bleating and what sounded like human voices. The hair stood on his arms and he swallowed hard. The only other humans he knew of in here were his parents. At least his parents weren't screaming…yet. Dubious, he looked at the machete. He was supposed to kill something that freaked out the animals and could be torturing his parents? That didn't seem fair.

"Guys? _Guys_!" he cried. He thought he heard a mute 'poof' and turned, but the scenery was the same. Mud was everywhere, thanks to the sodden ground. Otherwise, he saw green. Green leaves, green moss, and green birds beating a hasty retreat. A pink tube protruded from the ground and he pulled it out. His hands glowed green, overlaid with pink, and his heart pounded. Maybe…maybe they hadn't abandoned him. Maybe they were always with him, even if he couldn't see them. God, he hoped he was right. Because he didn't think he could face the alternative.

Creatures stampeded past and he found a wide circle cut out, with tall grass inside. The screams were closer and his mother yelped. Frightened, heart racing, he held out his hands and said, voice shaking, "Part! Split! Whatever, just do it!"

The grass parted like waves and, running on pure adrenaline now, he pelted through it, tripped, and rolled over. He landed in a clearing, the ground dry and dusty. It was hard beneath his feet and he pushed himself back up. Directly across from him was a large cauldron, steaming and with a merry fire underneath. A man with a bone through his nose, a necklace made of bones, and a loincloth sat in a wooden chair and waved idly, as if the stew and his amusement did not yet suffice. He was wiry and had to be three times Timmy's age. His eyes, once Timmy met his gaze, were dull and the pupils unfocused. His movements were lethargic and he held a club loosely in his right hand, resting on the ground. The chair leaned all the way back and, for a second, Timmy thought he could be dead. Then he jerked and stopped.

"Dude, that can't be the chief," Timmy said.

"What makes you think that?" a woman said and Timmy whirled, heart picking up again. A thin, well-endowed blonde woman held a spear and wore a leather outfit covering her to almost her knees. Her blue eyes pinned him to the spot and she looked at the man sleeping before the cauldron and then at Timmy. Her rounded face looked unassuming…until you stared into her eyes. Her gaze was strict and pointed.

"Uh, 'cuz he looks…" Timmy hesitated.

"Stoned?" the woman supplied. "He's a figurehead. Let me guess- the troll sent you?"

Timmy swallowed hard. "Yeah. He told me to 'bring him his head'."

"Did he specify that it had to be separated from his body?" the woman asked.

Timmy thought about that for a second. "No. But I thought-"

"You're ten, right?" the woman asked and Timmy nodded. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a glint of gold floating above his head and nearly collapsed with relief. The woman was a faerie in disguise.

"You're too young to kill anyone," she said and then smiled. "But I can't just _let _you leave with what you came for. It'd be unbecoming."

"Unbe-what?" Timmy repeated.

Yellow power covered the spear and she pointed it at Timmy's chest. "You don't have to fight me. But if you want your parents back…you'd better learn how to use that magic."

"I don't…I don't have magic!" he protested. "I'm just a kid, like you said!"

The woman smiled and it hardened the softer edges, turning it from a woman who could be kind and considerate (like Doombringer) to a woman who gladly watched someone kill themselves. She assumed an offensive stance and the golden aura enveloped her. "No. I said you were ten. I never said you were a child."

"But you said I was too young to kill anyone!" he said, retreating. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his parents tied to a metal fence. Sweat trickled down his neck and he brandished the machete threateningly.

"Hi, Timmy!" his parents chorused.

"Be _quiet_!" he hissed. He turned to look at them and the woman tapped him in the back with her spear. It didn't pierce the skin, but it left a burning sensation. Startled, he spun to face her and she smiled.

"Never turn your back on your enemy," she said. Timmy gulped and wished he had a spear. Or a sword. He imagined himself with it, the ends pulsating pink and green like his hands had before, and the weight in his hands changed. He ducked back just in time to avoid an attack and the machete was gone, replaced by the spear. He had no time to wonder at it- the woman charged, aiming for his chest.

How was he supposed to defeat her if she didn't give him time to imagine things? Isn't that how Cosmo and Wanda did magic? But they could react quickly, without stopping to think. And for all he knew, Cosmo never really thought about anything. They had millennia of practice. And…damn, it'd be nice if he had a shield!

On his right arm appeared a green shield and he thrust it in between the woman, her spear, and him. Sweat trickled down and he gritted his teeth. She aimed for his head, he blocked it, and she swept down low, knocking him out from under. He rolled and held out the shield protectively.

"You need not kill me," she said and smiled, showing eerily white teeth. "You only have to magically bind me."

There was a crackle, like electricity, and the sky darkened. Timmy looked up, distracted, and she barreled him over, sending him a few inches away from the cauldron. The man twitched and Timmy gulped, jumping to his feet. The fire at his back felt plenty hot and he bet the cauldron's contents would _hurt _if it spilled. That was it! The woman said she had to magically bind her…well, he bet that'd be easier if he hit her with boiling stew. He just had to get into position without her figuring it out.

"Hey, look, there's a set of really nice spears!" he called. She didn't look. Instead, smiling, she flung the spear toward his parents. Panic set in and he imagined pink and green hands pushing_ out_, shoving the cauldron over and its contents at her. Then he imagined a barrier keeping his parents from being skewered. With the two things pictured at once, time slowed down and he lost track of what was actually going on. His head felt like it was being split and his vision greyed.

Screaming brought him back to his senses.

His vision took a while to clear. When it had, he saw the blonde woman on her knees with water and vegetables nearby. The chieftain had stood up and looked around quizzically, as if completely at a loss to figure out where the screaming was coming from. The woman had curled into a fetal position and Timmy imagined magical handcuffs around her wrists and ankles. Unfortunately, the idea of really hurting someone sunk in, even if it was to protect his parents, and he shook uncontrollably. Letting the ties 'snap' into place, he turned and headed for the fence. It looked like her spear had stuck in his shield.

He stopped a few feet away from his parents and the spear fell. To his shock, his mother wasn't bleeding. She didn't have any scratches. He looked at the ground and saw a dead leech. No wonder his parents hadn't been screaming- they weren't in any real danger. But then why had all the animals run? What was going on? The chief was a joke and the woman warrior went down…and…

"Hi, Timmy!" his father said. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Internet," Timmy said shakily. "What's going on?"

"Oh, we're waiting to be sacrifices," his mother said nonchalantly.

"To what?" Timmy said, heart pounding again. The woman moaned and groaned behind him and he shivered, rubbing his arms. He glowed pink and green.

"That," his father said and pointed. Timmy turned and stared at the trees. At first, all he saw were tree tops. Then he looked up…and up. Red scales glinting in the sun, thousands of feet high, roaring as it tore up the forest…was a dragon. And dragons were, unless the rules had changed, impervious to magic.

"Oh, crud."

* * *

Tootie stuck to the back alleys and areas of little visibility. Stalking Timmy had its advantages. She was used to crawling around in the dirt and getting completely filthy. She was also used to cleaning up after her sister, whose garments were often covered in substances best left to the imagination. The lights were out on the street behind theirs and she ducked onto lawns, dashed through bushes, and otherwise scratched and bruised herself. There were police helicopters overhead and she had to time things right- it reminded her of a video game. (Maybe she'd been spying on Timmy too much if that was the first thing that came to mind.)

She knew Dimmsdale well and it was only a matter of time until she found the house behind Timmy's. The fence was rotted on the third plank from the right and she pushed it aside. The lights were off on in the Turner household. Maybe Vicky hadn't attacked Timmy there. That left only her house…and one chance to get in before the police caught her. There were cars everywhere near her house and the helicopter landed on the roof.

Maybe she could disguise herself. She glanced at her hands and projected a camouflage effect. Whatever surrounded her, hopefully, she'd blend in. She was none too confident in her abilities and she sincerely doubted she had real magic, but she also thought perhaps the rules didn't apply the way they had. Besides, she had to save Timmy. And she'd die for him if need be.

Ducking back through the fence, she continued along the fence. Lights swept the area and occasionally, she flattened herself to the ground. Even if the magic had worked, she had no guarantees. She alternated ducking and traveling low to the ground and squashing herself. Her heart was in her throat and she rubbed her palms on her overalls. She couldn't smell the sewers anymore, which probably meant the smell had ingrained in her nostrils. Ugh.

Once she reached the house directly behind hers, she rapped on the fence with her knuckles. The machine in her pocket beeped and she extracted it. Half of the boards were hollow and she pushed them aside. Then she immediately threw herself into the bushes before the spotlight caught her. Damn, it was scratchy. She could feel her neck and cheek bleed.

Squinting, she gazed up at the helicopter. If she stayed here long enough, she could count how long it took for the light to do a sweep and time herself accordingly. It appeared to take…a minute to do a full sweep and half a minute to reach her. She might be able to fling herself at the house before it reached her and then hang tight until she could get in through the backdoor. Assuming, of course, that the police weren't in her house too. Her head pounded and she bit the inside of her lip.

"I'm doing this for Timmy," she reminded herself. "No matter what weird thing Vicky is doing to him, I'll stop her."

After several sweeps, she mustered her courage and threw herself at the chimney. Her bound took her further than she had anticipated and she smacked into the side of the house. Head aching, she looked up and gulped. The spotlight had just missed her…and her skin had gone completely black, along with her outfit. From here, she could sort of see Vicky's room. The helicopter's blades stopped spinning. Sirens stopped wailing. There was utter silence, unbroken. Not even a cricket chirped. Tootie's mouth went dry and her knees buckled.

"I'm doing this for Timmy."

The back door was unlocked and she slipped into the kitchen. It was dark…and she stopped, hearing a gasp. The gasp was followed by a scream, but it wasn't Timmy. It was throaty and breathless, like the person had barely been able to give voice to the horror before being silenced. And Tootie knew it, not like she'd know Timmy or Vicky, but like a long lost friend. Her knees buckled again and she grabbed the counter to keep from falling over.

"If I rip them off, do they grow back?" Vicky crooned.

"Stop it!" Tootie heard herself scream. "Leave them alone!"

She was afraid to go upstairs and discover what was really going on, but she didn't see a choice. Heart in her throat, she headed upstairs and clung to the bannister.

"Whose faeries are they?" Vicky hissed, her voice full of menace. "I know you know."

"Let them go!" Her counterpart screamed, like Vicky was hurting her, and Tootie shuddered. Pieces were starting to fall into place, but her mind wouldn't let her hold onto them. Her fingers slipped on the bannister and she collapsed onto the floor. Her breath came too quickly and she almost wished it had been Timmy in danger, anything but this.

"Are they _your _faeries?" Vicky crooned.

"NO!" Tootie screamed and dashed up the stairs. She burst into her bedroom to discover Vicky with Cosmo and Wanda in a butterfly net and her younger self curled up in a ball. Tootie felt her stomach and remembered being kicked, hard, and then smacked to keep from rising. Cosmo and Wanda were silent, eyes wide and pleading. Vicky had reached through the net and torn Cosmo's left wing until it was tattered, barely hanging to his back. Tootie swallowed back nausea.

"What's this?" Vicky said, looking from the younger Tootie to her. She glanced at Cosmo and Wanda and then punted Wanda until the net flew back, hitting the wall and making the faeries collide with it particularly hard. They yelped and clung to each other.

"I know you two aren't doing this," Vicky said and twirled their wands on her fingers.

"Leave them alone!" Tootie snapped.

"What's that?" Vicky feigned ignorance. "You want me to sell them to the highest bidder?"

She was so afraid. At some point, Fairy World had stepped in and taken Cosmo and Wanda away. She didn't recall exactly when. But facing her sister down, with her younger self incapacitated, was sapping her reserve. Timmy could confront Vicky…but Tootie had problems. Timmy didn't hear the screams at night, didn't have to live with her, and he was so much braver. Then again, he still _had _Cosmo and Wanda.

Vicky picked up the net and shook it. "You think the wings grow back?"

"It's…it's _your _fault I'm so miserable!" Tootie said. Her teeth were chattering and she was shaking so badly she could barely stand. "It's your fault I lost them!"

"Oh, so they _are _yours?" Vicky said. "Hmm. Should I sell them or use a blowtorch on them?"

Timmy had Cosmo and Wanda. It wasn't fair. His parents never paid attention to him and left him with Vicky, but her parents were _petrified _of Vicky and never paid attention to her. Timmy didn't have to live with Vicky. Timmy didn't have to wonder at night if Vicky was going to sneak in and do something horrible to his stuff or to him. It wasn't fair that Tootie had lost Cosmo and Wanda because of Vicky, while Timmy got to keep them to fight her off.

But…she loved Timmy. And she wanted him to be happy.

_At your expense?_

The pivotal moment was soon at hand. She shoved Vicky away from the butterfly net and stood protectively in front of her godparents. Forces gathered and she only had a minute before she'd lose them again. She kicked the butterfly net off them and felt the slim magic she had been left with. Lashing out, thinking only of keeping her godparents away from Vicky, she said, "I wish Vicky had never captured you and no one remembered anything!"

There was an odd sensation, not the usual undercurrent of a wish. Magic with the force of a tidal wave ripped through the room and Vicky vanished, along with her past self. She flew back into the wall and collapsed, stunned. Cosmo and Wanda stood independently, their wands glowing blindingly. Winds whipped through the room and she could only see the bright yellow glow, nothing else. She couldn't move. The fury deafened her and when it finally passed, she didn't at first notice. Groaning, she slumped onto the floor and felt a soft hand touch her cheek. Startled, she jerked and slammed into the wall.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Wanda said and Tootie opened her eyes. Part of the wish hadn't worked. She still remembered losing them…but they hadn't gone anywhere.

"Did we miss something fun?" Cosmo said and Tootie looked up. Cosmo was sitting on her bed…that was sideways on the floor. Everything in the room was in shambles.

"Hey, look, a note," Cosmo said, ducking under the bed. "'You have created a paradox'. Wanda, what's a paradox?"

"A paradox…" Tootie said softly. If she had lost her godparents, that meant they'd go to Timmy. But she hadn't lost her godparents, so Timmy never got them. Yet if Timmy had never had them, then Cosmo and Wanda couldn't have been captured, which meant none of this could have happened because Tootie couldn't have gone back in time to prevent losing them. Wow. It was making her head hurt a little.

Wanda popped to Cosmo's side to inspect the note and frowned. Another note drifted down and then disappeared before Cosmo had a chance to read it, although Wanda's quick gaze had scanned and filed away the contents.

"It says we were reassigned…but we're still here…" Wanda said, confused.

"Is _that _a paradox?" Cosmo asked.

"Yes…" Wanda said and stared at Tootie. "Hun, what's going on?"

"Uh…" Tootie smiled innocently. "I have no idea?"

* * *

(In the present)

Finally, the traffic had cleared and Doombringer was back to her lair. Once she stepped inside…the world wavered and she lost her footing. Her vision blacked out and she tasted metal. It took a while for the dizziness to dissipate and once it had, it took a while longer to stand. She stood, back to the wall to support herself, and stared down the corridor. It looked abandoned, like it had when she first encountered it, not cleaned up like she had forced Juandissimo to do.

The lights were covered in dust and cobwebs and the lights that turned on flickered.

"Hello?" she huffed. "Anyone?"

Normally, half breeds would have flocked to her by now. Instead, her voice rang out in an empty hall. "Juandissimo?"

She didn't expect him to come, although it would have been soothing. There was a silent pop and she whirled, discovering Juandissimo, pale and bloody, behind her. She suppressed a shiver; the last time she'd checked, he'd turned tail and run. Why was he answering her summons again? What the hell was that ripple?

"Si?" he said. "There is a summons to Fairy World and I must go, but I shall return."

"A summons?" she repeated. "You serve _me_." At least, he did as long as she had Remy and his magic in the palm of her hand. She was on her way to finding out how to wield the dark magic and use it to control faeries everywhere. She was manipulating godchildren to use their magic to help her find the missing book. Juandissimo didn't pop off to _Fairy World_.

"I must go," he said. "To discuss the temporal rift."

"What temporal rift?" she said. Her mouth hung open and she shut it hastily.

"You do not remember?" he said. She shook her head.

"I will explain later," he said. "I must go."

His expression darkened. "Don't you dare lay a hand on Remy while I am gone."

He disappeared and she bit the inside of her lip until it bled. Not only was he vanishing against her orders, but he was ordering her around? Stomping her feet, she headed for where she knew the prisoners were. Seeing them would right the world, even if it was starting to grow increasingly wrong. Going down a level, she reached the prisoners' quarters and found a man in her way. Isaac.

"You wanted it to be real," Isaac said and smiled insanely. "So it was."

"What was?" Doombringer demanded. "What's going on?"

"You created a world in which Cosmo and Wanda are Timmy's godparents…and also Tootie's," he said. "And since Tootie's godparents' existence hinge on your decisions, that means this warehouse is the nexus of the temporal split."

"_My _decisions?" she snapped. "This is _your _fault."

"No," he said. "You didn't think these things through."

He vanished into thin air and she snarled, reaching for him but coming up empty handed. Enraged and frightened his words had a ring of truth, she proceeded into the cells. She found Remy as she had expected, glaring at the television and looking thoroughly bored. Further along, she looked in on where Timmy and Tootie should be. They were both gone and the cell showed no signs of occupancy, no signs of Cosmo digging his way free. Her heart stopped for a second and she shook the bars. This couldn't possibly be _her _fault. No.

"NO!" she screamed.

Terror gripping her, she kicked, shook, and snarled at the bars. No. She couldn't possibly have lost her precious foothold on a single gamble. The fantasies Timmy and Tootie were supposed to use to develop their powers were only supposed to be fantasies, not rooted in reality. Isaac had lied to her. Yes, she had wanted them realistic, but not at such a great cost. Screaming, she punted the bars, jumped back from the pain, and gritted her teeth. The half-breeds, Cosmo, Wanda, Timmy, and Tootie were all gone. Remy and Juandissimo were all she had left.

Perhaps she should have known better than to trust him. After all, she had met Isaac in Retroville and she knew Timmy's dealings with Jimmy Neutron there. But he had been so willing to help…and she wasn't really good at mind games, beyond the obvious. Why would he ruin her? Was it a game to him? And what was she going to do now that she had lost her advantage?

A wary smile formed. She might have lost almost everything, but Juandissimo and Remy were within her grasp. Godparents would do anything for their godchildren, wouldn't they? They were almost like parent-child and parents, if their children were threatened, could be unpredictable. All she needed to do was up the ante and she'd be able to bring back everything she'd lost. Remy didn't have to suffer needlessly. It no longer mattered whether the godchildren possessed their godparents' magic. For this to succeed, it depended on Remy being unable to defend himself.

Damn it. She had been so close to the real power. The magic the godchildren had was closer to the elemental magic the faeries had scorned. Any aberrant magic would have done, in sufficient force…and now, all gone. How could this have happened? How could she have let it happen?

Whatever else was true, this wasn't her fault.

* * *

One minute, Wanda was beside Anti Cosmo and Anti Wanda and the next, she was shunted into Fairy World. The darkness still coursed through her and she felt weak, this time accompanied by a phantom sensation, like she had been recently severed from her limbs. Yet a cursory look told her they were still there, despite the feeling that her hands were doing something else somewhere else. Her mind was full of half memories, strange recollections she hadn't witnessed yet that had happened to her. It made her shiver and she looked at Cosmo, beside her. His hair was its usual vibrant green and he showed no signs of their recent turmoil.

She didn't understand. On one hand, they had been in Doombringer's clutches and she had to rescue her godchild, along with Tootie. On the other, they were here now and what had occurred recently lost its magnetism, like it was being rewritten. She saw Tootie in her mind's eye and remembered losing her, yet, at the same time, not. Her mind hurt holding the contrary memories in place. Did Cosmo recall too?

"Silence!" Jorgen thundered and the assembled group, every faerie in Fairy World plus whomever had been yanked off Earth, quieted. Wanda sensed the anti faeries still there, within the throng, although she couldn't sense her husband with her magical senses. The telepathy was down and yet, it was alive somewhere. There was a strange multiplicity developing within and without, as if she had become Wanda "A". Without thinking, she reached for Cosmo's hand and squeezed. Cosmo squeezed back and smiled.

"Due to the recent temporal shifts, we have had to quarantine certain areas!" Jorgen yelled and produced charts. Retroville appeared on one levitating screen, Brightsburg on another, and Dimmsdale on the third. The charts changed to maps with particular areas pinpointed- almost every area in Dimmsdale was lined in red. Retroville had Jimmy Neutron's house isolated, along with his friends', the Candy Bar, and school. Wanda felt like someone had hit her in the stomach. It was everywhere their magic had penetrated and, as if on the heels of this thought, Fairy World itself appeared on a fourth screen.

"We have no idea what caused this, but we believe it has something to do with these two," Jorgen said and, raising his wand, pointed at Cosmo and Wanda. Cosmo beamed and Wanda suppressed a groan. She saw Vicky in her mind's eye and then it was gone. She shook her head.

"Until we know more, these areas are off-limits!" Jorgen called. "Under no circumstances are you to grant wishes leading into them or otherwise interact with them. That is all!"

He pounded his wand and the crowd dispersed, everyone but Jorgen, Cosmo, and Wanda. They appeared at his side and he scowled.

"There are now two sets of you wandering around Dimmsdale," he said. "I would advise you to stay away from them."

"But what if-" Cosmo started and Jorgen glared.

"No."

"I don't know how this happened," Wanda protested.

He stared at her and then Cosmo. "The recent past has been rewritten, but not everything has changed. I will keep my eyes on you."

Cosmo took out his eyes and stared at himself. Wanda rolled her eyes and poofed them back into his head. He whined and grabbed her hand.

"C'mon, I wanna meet myself!" he said.

"Jorgen said no," she said, scowling.

"Aw, you take all the fun out of things," he said. "You're such a boring nag."

Wanda gritted her teeth and looked away. Maybe Wanda "B" was having better luck.

"We're not going," she repeated.

"Why?" Cosmo said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Wanda "B", who didn't even know she had that designation, was busy checking on Vicky's current prisoner. Cosmo was playing with Tootie and for a split second, she felt like the universe had rippled. She had memories of another time, when she was Timmy's godmother, but she knew that hadn't happened because they hadn't been reassigned. They'd had a few close calls with Vicky, but Tootie had kept her mouth shut and protected her godparents. Whenever that weird twinge came up, Wanda would dismiss it. After all, they'd been subject to a few magical historical rewrites too. It was probably related to that.

The prisoner was dehydrated and hallucinating, so appearing in her normal form wouldn't affect him or break any rules. She gave him water and checked his vitals- usually, Vicky's teachers suffered the brunt of her punishment. This one happened to be her math teacher, who had been hanging here since January. Eventually, someone would notice he was missing…and not be too afraid of Vicky to discover where he'd gone. Until that day, Wanda ensured no one died under this roof, either through neglect or torture. She wouldn't put much past Vicky.

((You're coming back now, right?)) Cosmo whined via telepathy. It was odd- for a few minutes a day, she felt like they shouldn't have it and that they should be having marriage troubles. Then she questioned why she'd think that, because they were as good as they had been thousands of years ago and nothing had ever happened to make her doubt them.

((Of course, pudding,)) she said and popped back into Tootie's room. Tootie, dressed in Faerie Princess garb, smiled and Wanda smiled back. She settled on the bed.

"Now, where were we?" she asked.

"You were the dragon," Cosmo said and Wanda snorted.

"Because the last time Cosmo was the dragon, he almost burned down my room," Tootie groaned. Wanda rolled her eyes.

"All right, all right," she said and shifted into a small dragon, in contrast to the larger dragon Cosmo had created and which had destroyed her room. It was the size of a large dog.

"Back, ye strange dragon!" Tootie said, holding up a fake wand. "Or I'll blast you!"

"Dragons are impervious to magic!" Wanda replied. "And I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, yeah, well, I wish I had a sword!" Tootie countered.

Cosmo raised his wand and Wanda cleared her throat.

"Remember what we talked about last time?" she reminded him.

"What? It's not like she killed anyone," Cosmo said but produced a toy sword. Wanda smirked and resumed pretend menacing her godchild. She flew around and blew smoke.

"Hit me with your best shot!" Wanda taunted.

Thunder boomed and Tootie blinked.

"Wow, guys, you're really going all out," she said.

"We didn't do that," Wanda said and flew to the window. Cosmo popped to her side. Outside, the sky had grown incredibly dark and foreboding, with lightning flashing and thunder accompanying. It had been a perfectly clear night before.

"Weird," Tootie said.

"Yeah…" Cosmo agreed and his wand shot off random sparks. The trio jumped and stared at him.

"Something strange is going on," Wanda said. "But I don't know what."

She looked toward Timmy's house and used Tootie's telescope to discern details. She didn't know why, but she associated rogue magic with Timmy. Unfortunately, the curtains were drawn and shy of going over there herself, she couldn't tell anything. Frowning, she withdrew and stared at Cosmo.

((I keep thinking of Timmy as our godson, but Tootie's our goddaughter.))

((And I keep thinking of Phillip! I miss that nickel.))

She looked again at the Turners' household and her wings twitched. Sometimes, it felt like she was somewhere else or doing something else.

((I felt split, like we should be somewhere else…))

Cosmo didn't answer, not even offering a joke. His gaze went beyond her, to the Turners' household, and she knew he was echoing her sentiment, even if he couldn't verbalize it.

"Hey, uh, guys, can we get back to playing?" Tootie asked.

"Of course, honey," Wanda said and flew back to menace her goddaughter again. It must be nice to be Cosmo and have no real thoughts.

((Wanda…I feel like the darkness is coming for me.))

You couldn't lie mind to mind and Wanda had to suppress a shiver, because she knew all too well exactly what he meant. She could see Cosmo in her mind's eye with black streaking his hair and then that led to confused images. There was a sense of wrongness here, like they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, except they had been since Jorgen had assigned them. There was no reason they shouldn't.

((Don't be ridiculous,)) she replied, but her heart wasn't in it. Thunder boomed and she shivered, uncertain why.


	27. Faerie Day

Author's Note: June 24th is Fairy Day and, in honor of that, I decided to update this fic! Yay!

I'm sorry if it's meandering. I never write outlines and I stopped plotting this one out because I'd lost interest in FOP.

Also, movie July 7th. Yay or nay? Nay for me. Yep.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fairy Day

Timmy was dizzy. The last thing he knew, he'd been about to fend off a giant dragon ready to kill his parents, all the while rescuing his future god brother and keeping him from being eaten. He knew this, along with the idea that he had magic to exploit, and then the universe tilted on its side, upside down, and flung him onto the floor. Not literally, but it felt like that. Normally, he was the one rewriting the universe and it didn't feel like someone had kicked him around first. Also, normally after something clearly magical had happened, his faerie godparents were there to tell him what was going on. Or offer commentary in case they didn't.

Timmy was alone in his room and it was so weird, because everything that had happened was competing with the idea that it hadn't happened. His head hurt and he staggered over to the bathroom. Staring at his reflection, he saw the same silly pink hat, same pink shirt and black pants, and the same buckteeth he always had. But there was still something wrong. He should be fighting a dragon and saving his parents. He shouldn't be here.

"Mom?" he called, opening the door and standing at the top of the stairs. "Dad?"

"What is it, sweetie?" his mother said and stood at the bottom. Her brow creased and she frowned. "Did you do your homework yet?"

"Homework?" Timmy repeated. "Mom, it's summer!"

"I know, but if you don't pass math this summer, you'll be held back," she remarked. "You don't want to be twenty three and still in the fifth grade, do you?"

Timmy blinked. "Uh…"

"Those problems aren't going to answer themselves, you know!" she said and then, in a gentler voice, added, "if you need help, I'll be down in the kitchen…fixing what your father 'repaired'."

Thoroughly confused now, Timmy returned to his room. Great, now he felt like Cosmo. Speaking of Cosmo, where had he and Wanda gone? He certainly wasn't going to do his homework feeling like his brain was about to fall out. And he didn't know what else to think about, because it felt like he'd gone through about thirty chapters of something only for it to mean nothing.

He flopped onto his bed and groaned. In a few seconds, Cosmo and Wanda reappeared. He rolled over onto his back.

"Your hair still has black in it!" he exclaimed. In fact, both faeries had black streaks and pale, they sank to the bed.

"You know, _some _people open with 'hello'," Cosmo said grumpily.

"Sport, we don't know how, but Doombringer helped create a paradox," Wanda said. "And until we fix this, we're not going to be at full strength."

"But what happened to the dragon? My parents? And Poof?" Timmy said. Cosmo and Wanda exchanged mystified looks.

"Poof?" Cosmo repeated. "What's a 'Poof'?"

"I don't know," Wanda said. "All the magical repercussions are still in effect, however. Cosmo and I are both tainted with dark magic and you, Remy, and probably Tootie too, can perform magic. But everything else we have no clue."

Cosmo stared at his wife. "You're tainted too?"

Timmy ignored this. "What the heck are we supposed to do about it? Doombringer's still out there and she's still going to try whatever it was she wanted to do."

"Until the paradox is resolved, she can't do anything," Wanda said. "She's the nexus of it."

"The what?" Timmy said and she sighed.

"The center. She can try to coral back her forces, but it won't work," she said.

"Then we don't have anything to worry about," he said.

"Not quite," his godmother said. "There are two different versions of us around now. Normally, when that happens, someone is either from a different time or it's anti faerie/faerie. We're naturally balanced. Now we aren't, because there are two dark equivalents to the light."

"So?" Timmy said.

"So…" Wanda swallowed. "If this was what Doombringer meant to do, it won't work. Without checks and balances, one of us will have to go away forever."

This announcement was met with profound silence. Licking her dry lips, she continued. "If we became truly evil, our counterparts would have to be light. Doombringer might have been trying to manipulate the scales and make us her evil servants."

"But why are there two of you?" he asked.

"Tootie has us too," Wanda said. Timmy jumped up from the bed and stared through the window down to Tootie's house. There was a storm building and thunder boomed. Cosmo jumped and dove under the bed, only for Wanda to drag him back up. Timmy's hands were glowing softly pink and green.

"I wish she didn't!" Timmy said.

"Faeries can't be wished away by other faeries," she reminded him. "And we're forbidden from magically interfering."

"_You _are," Timmy said. "But I'm not."

"I really don't think that's a good idea," she warned.

Timmy grinned. "I'll just get her to wish away her godparents and then everything will be back to normal, right?"

"Would _you _wish away your godparents if you were her?" she replied, scowling.

"Especially if you had _us_?" Cosmo said, batting his eyelashes. Timmy folded his arms across his chest and stared at his godparents.

"Okay, new plan," he said and frowned. He almost suggested causing her to lose her godparents, but he couldn't do that to her. Shaking his head at himself, he said, "What if I just talked to her? How bad is that?"

Wanda frowned. "We're not allowed to talk to our counterparts, but…"

"But no one said we couldn't be in the same house!" Cosmo finished.

"I wish you two were buttons on my hat and I wish we were at Tootie's!" he exclaimed.

"That falls under 'magically interfering'," Wanda pointed out. He groaned.

"You mean I have to walk all the way there?"

Wanda stared at him and he grimaced. "Can't I at least wish I was outside so Mom didn't notice?"

"That we can do," she said and they held up their wands. Although it worked, it took a few seconds longer than normal and both faeries hissed, holding slightly burned fingers. Cosmo sucked on his injured fingers while Wanda blew unhappily on hers.

"Using Fairy World's magic hurts after being tainted," she explained.

"And how long does it last?" he said, grimacing.

"No idea!" Cosmo piped up. "It could last for the rest of our lives, for all we know!"

"Got any more good news, Cosmoron?" Timmy huffed.

"Not yet!" Cosmo said.

Timmy rolled his eyes and set off. Overhead, it rumbled threateningly and he saw lightning flash. His mom would probably kill him if she knew he was walking around in a thunderstorm. Or a magical storm, which was probably what this was.

* * *

The closer Timmy got to Tootie's house, the more she was aware of her counterpart. She had strange, disconnected emotions. She heard things as if through a tunnel. Had she been walking, she would have stopped in her tracks. The next distant murmurings she heard were telepathy. Wanda B still had telepathy with Cosmo. There were probably no marriage jokes or hurtful comments. Tears filled her eyes.

"Sorry," Cosmo murmured and moved further away from her on Timmy's cap. He probably thought he'd jabbed her.

A sudden, sharp sentiment occurred. _What's so bad about not existing? At least that Wanda and Cosmo are happy._

But no, she was the 'right' Wanda, which meant she was supposed to go through this. That was a depressing thought. She righted herself on Timmy's hat and felt the air grow tense. The closer they got to Tootie's house, the harder it grew to breathe and more emotions bled through from her other self. The telepathic echoes were driving her crazy and she shut her eyes and wished she could shut them from her mind too.

Timmy stopped and Cosmo and Wanda looked down at his hat bill, since they couldn't see him.

"What is it, sport?" Wanda asked.

"I just realized this is the first time I've ever gone to Vicky's house voluntarily," he said.

"There's a first time for everything," Cosmo said. "First time to die-"

"People don't usually survive their first time of that one, hun," Wanda remarked dryly.

"Zombies do!" he said and she rolled her eyes.

Timmy advanced, knocked on the door, and Cosmo and Wanda shuddered. It felt like a brick wall had clamped down on their magic and slammed right in front of their faces. They exchanged uneasy glances- perhaps Jorgen had also meant not going to Tootie's too, even if he hadn't said it explicitly. It felt like she and Wanda B should merge, except they were two different jarring notes and the wrongness resonated throughout her button body. Judging by Cosmo's whimper, he felt the same.

Tootie opened the door with streamers in her hair and two familiar looking dogs at her side. Cosmo started to speak to Cosmo B and Wanda jabbed him.

((Wow, they look just like us!)) Alternate Cosmo said and Wanda moaned. It reminded her of how much had gone wrong lately and she shut her eyes for a moment.

"I think we need to talk," Timmy said.

"Talk? About what?" Tootie said. "Cool pins."

"Can I come in?" Timmy said, eyeing the living room. "Vicky isn't here, is she?"

"She's, uh…about a million miles away right now," Tootie said and smiled innocently. It was odd for Wanda to be confronted with her own power, particularly when it rubbed her the wrong way. It had never been like this before, not with herself cloned and not in a separate timeline. It was because of the taint, she knew. The light would continue to burn until the taint was driven out.

"Great," Timmy said. "Can I come in?"

Tootie was wary and she stiffened. "Why do you want to speak to me all of a sudden?"

"It's not something I want to talk about on your porch," he said urgently. "I wish you'd-"

"No!" Cosmo and Wanda exclaimed in unison. Timmy flushed.

"Oh, right," he said. Tootie's eyes narrowed and she focused on the pins; they had gone completely still and pretended to be normal pink and green pins.

"She's onto us…" Cosmo whispered.

"Those aren't normal pins, are they?" Tootie said suspiciously. Sweat trickled down Timmy's neck and Wanda stared at the pink dog at Tootie's side. Wanda B stared back; her fur was perfectly pink, without a hint of black. She wasn't sure she hated her or wanted to be her.

"Let me in, I really need to pee," he said and pushed his way in. Wanda groaned and Timmy looked around before staring at the alternate Cosmo and Wanda. He shut the door behind him.

"You're here to take my faerie godparents away," Tootie said flatly. Timmy blinked.

"How did you know? I mean…what? No," he said.

"I remember everything too," she said. "But it's getting dimmer."

"I'm not here to take them away," he said. "Can we just talk?"

"You never talk to me unless you want something," she said. "I know I lost them and that's how you got them. But I got them back."

"But you aren't supposed to have them," he said exasperated. He stepped out of the doorway and sat down on the couch. Cosmo and Wanda B walked at Tootie's side.

((She isn't supposed to have us?)) Cosmo queried.

"No," Wanda said aloud in response and everyone stared at her. She blushed and sunk lower on Timmy's hat.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

The alternate versions were looking at her and Cosmo with increased interest and she wished she could sink to the floor. At least it prevented them from using telepathy. She found herself wondering what had driven out theirs. It couldn't completely be because they were Timmy's godparents. Hadn't Cosmo said something cryptic about a statue? It was hard to think critically here, especially with the magical pressure like a barrier on either side.

"Do you know how miserable I am?" she said. "I'm at least ten times more miserable than you. And at least _you _have friends and family who care about you. Vicky drives away anyone who wants to be friends with me and my parents are terrified of her. You don't have to live with her."

Timmy hesitated. In every contest, he had come out the clear winner for needing his godparents. He had never had to defend himself before. Wanda slipped off his hat and onto the couch as a blanket. She wasn't supposed to use magic to interfere, but this was shapeshifting, which required very little energy.

It wasn't until after she'd done it that she realized she'd acted without her wand. She cursed.

"Obviously, Fairy World thought I was miserable because I got them," Timmy said.

"You were the next miserable person," Tootie shot back. "And you only got them because I lost them."

"Maybe if you weren't so careless, you wouldn't have lost them!" Timmy countered.

"I lost them because Vicky tried to hurt them!" she shot back. "Because I almost let her!"

There was a stunned silence. Cosmo fidgeted on Timmy's hat. Cosmo B sniffed at her experimentally and Wanda realized they wouldn't have had the briefing because Jorgen had been briefing Fairy World about _them_. They didn't know they weren't supposed to talk to them, but in order to tell them, they'd have to speak. There was another paradox.

Timmy didn't have a good response, or, it seemed, any reply. He tried again, in a gentler voice. "I'm sorry you lost them, but you can't keep them. We can't both have Cosmo and Wanda."

"Mine don't have black streaks," Tootie said.

"We have to undo what Doombringer did, but before we can, we have to eliminate the paradox," Timmy said and blinked. "Or something like that."

"But why should I have to give up my godparents?" she scowled. "Why can't _you _lose _yours_?"

Timmy inhaled shakily. "I don't want to lose them."

"I don't want to lose mine either," she said and stared at him defiantly. "And faeries can't wish away other faeries. It's against Da Rules."

"Maybe we can work something out with Fairy World," he said.

Tootie eyed him dully. "No. I'm way more miserable than you are. That's why you loaned them to me before."

Timmy choked. "You aren't supposed to remember that!"

"When I realized Cosmo and Wanda were mine, I wished I remembered everything I'd forgotten," she said.

"If you're not going to do it because you shouldn't have them, can you at least do it because you love me?" he said and batted his eyelashes.

"No," she said. "I may love you, Timmy Turner, but I love Cosmo and Wanda more."

Without quite knowing how they'd gotten there, Timmy, Cosmo and Wanda found themselves outside Tootie's house. There was now a magical barrier around it and Wanda's head spun. Cosmo, likewise, twirled around dizzily on Timmy's left.

"What the heck just happened?" Timmy said.

"I believe you call that a stalemate, sweetie," Wanda said.

"I don't feel so good…" Cosmo groaned and vomited. After a few seconds, Wanda followed suit.

"Uh, are you guys okay?"

"No," Wanda admitted. "But hopefully, it won't get too much worse."

* * *

After Tootie had magically escorted Timmy and company out, she sat and stared at the TV, which was currently off. She didn't know what to think. If Timmy was right, then she had to lose Cosmo and Wanda again. But it wasn't fair. Cosmo and Wanda were more her parents than her own. Why should she give them up?

But why had countless other children given them up too? Why should anyone have to lose them?

This wasn't like growing too old. She'd been gypped.

Her conscience gnawed at her. What if she was making the wrong choice?

* * *

Timmy ate dinner and Wanda ate silently with her husband. She finished and went to the storage room, where they kept all their odd knickknacks and items they'd acquired after living for nearly ten thousand years. In the corner of the room, buried behind a bike and Cosmo's lucky nickel, was a bust. She frowned, rubbing her chin. On either side of the bust were bookshelves with rare, valuable, and well read books. There were also old editions of Da Rules and picture albums. But it was the bust that drew her gaze.

The ceiling here was low and it reminded her of a cavern. The bust was carved from stone and bore Mama Cosma's face, but Wanda didn't remember getting it. She also didn't remember Cosmo mentioning it, and since they were together nearly every minute of the day, this struck her as odd.

Mama Cosma's eyes were green jewels and they glowed oddly. She felt vaguely threatened, and she didn't know why.

"That's what I wanted to show you," Cosmo said and Wanda whirled, holding her wand out for a half second before she put it down. Cosmo flinched.

"Wanda?" he said softly, uncertain.

"When did we get this?" she said. Her voice trembled.

"Uh…about six months ago," Cosmo said. "I think. I dunno. It was here one day."

"It gives me the creeps," she said and rubbed her arms. "It feels like it's watching me."

"Mama's watching all of us," Cosmo said. He stared at her and it went right through her. "Wow, I didn't realize using dark magic made you fat."

The comment caught her off guard and she blinked. Slowly, she turned around and stared at the statue and then again at her husband.

"Your mother hates me," she said, feeling the pieces click into place but not completely grasping the puzzle yet.

"And she was right. I should have held out for the Tooth Fairy," he replied. "Ooh. I wonder if your sister's still available."

She ignored the pain his words caused and focused instead on the way the bust's eyes gleamed when Cosmo spoke.

"How often have you come here to see the bust?" she said.

"Uh…" he hesitated. "A couple times a day. Maybe more. It's a lot more interesting than you."

"You don't remember anything that happened right before the bust appeared, do you?" she murmured. "Any wishes you and Timmy might have made? Any visits to your mother?"

"I hardly remember what I did last week!" he said and then thought about it. "I dunno. Shouldn't you remember better? You're _old_ and that's all old people do."

"You wouldn't care if I took the bust away, would you?" she said. "Or dumped it somewhere? Why would you need a bust of your mother?"

"Because I love my momma!" he exclaimed and then hugged it. The bust's eyes gleamed and she saw a thin tendril of magic wrap around Cosmo. She yanked it out of Cosmo's arms and Cosmo whined, reaching for it. The brief contact with her bare lower arms burned and she dropped it. It cracked on the edges.

"No! Momma!" he cried and cradled it.

"Cosmo, it's not real!" she said. "And I think it's been hexed."

"So?" he said and hugged it to him until the sharp edges cut through his shirt. "It's better than you."

She reached for it once more and he held up his wand and vanished. She popped into Timmy's room, but Cosmo was nowhere to be seen.

"Have you seen Cosmo?" she asked Timmy.

"Which one?" Timmy said dully, looking up from a comic book. Wanda glared.

"You know which one," she said.

"No," he said. "I wish Tootie would just give up her faeries."

"She can't and you know it," Wanda said. "And don't you dare try to trick her. I'll be right back- I need to find Cosmo."

"He's probably at a corn museum or something," Timmy scoffed. He went back to his comic book.

Wanda had an ominous feeling about the bust.

* * *

The darkness hiding within Cosmo was intrigued by the bust. It had a wonderful mix of light and dark magic, which should serve as a good springboard. Plus, it was already wreaking havoc with certain magical Bonding connecting Cosmo and Wanda. If it could force the hex to its natural conclusion, it could finally fully realize its potential and turn Cosmo completely to its cause. Yes, the bust would do nicely.

Mama Cosma had no idea what she'd done, but that suited the being just fine. Faeries were stupid, foolish creatures.


	28. The Demon I Cling To

Author's Note: Two days until the FOP movie. I wanted to post this before it. I'm still on the fence about it, mostly unhappy in general with its existence.

Editing this reminded me of A Boy and His Poof and I recommend you all read that. It's finished, so you won't have any pesky cliffhanger problems. :P

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Demon I Cling To

While avoiding thinking was a Cosmo specialty, running away from his wife was not. Blindly, he fled his wife with the carving clutched securely against him. The bust's sharp edges cut into his skin and he bled through his shirt and onto his tie. He didn't know why he was frightened. He had anticipated telling Wanda about the bust and what he thought it might do, but now that the time was nigh, it terrified him. He felt like he was about to be _caught_. What it was he about to be caught at, he had no idea.

He tasted blood in the back of his throat and screamed, flinging up the bust and then catching it before it could shatter. The hair stood up on the back of his neck and his stomach churned.

"Where…where am I?" he said. His voice echoed. It was pitch black, with red pinpricks staring back. Cosmo whimpered, hugging the bust tighter and cutting himself further.

"Don't you remember, Cosmo-lolo?" his mother said. "You were getting the milk and forgetting about your marriage to Wanda."

"I was doing _something _with Wanda," Cosmo replied. His head felt fuzzy, like someone had stuffed cotton in between his ears. "Mama, where are you?"

"I'm exactly where you need me to be, child," came the answer. Somehow, this was less than encouraging.

"Okay, but can you be exactly where I need you to be and closer?" he asked. A bat screeched, passing over his head, and he yelped. He trembled, frightened but seemingly immune to the pain he had caused himself by cradling the sculpture.

"The answer is inside you," she called. "Come closer."

Cosmo gulped. "I'd really rather stay here. Why can't you come to me? Mama? Mama!"

His mother sighed. "How can I help you when you insist on staying with that wretched Wanda girl?"

"But, I'm not with her," he said, confused. "I came by myself. See? All I have is this bust."

"That's not what I meant," she said. "You're still attached to her through a _Bond_."

She spat the word and he shuddered, looking down. Although it was pitch black, he could see himself and the mess he'd made out of his shirt. Without thinking, he conjured up a new one and placed a plastic bag around the bust. His heart pounded and he held up the bust in the hopes its glowing eyes would identify his disembodied mother's voice. He saw a stalactite and another bat.

Cosmo swallowed hard and licked his lips. "All faeries are Bonded. It's what happens when you meet your true love."

"_I _wasn't Bonded and I turned out fine," his mother retorted. He searched the darkness and held up his wand, which instantly went out. Where was he? Was there a dragon nearby or something else interfering with his magic?

"Wanda?" he called. "Wanda, I'm sorry for calling you fat. Wanda!"

"She can't hear you," his mother said in a singsong voice. "Why you ever decided to go out with that girl, I'll never know. But Mama will always be there for you. Mama knows best. Come to me, my Cosmo-lolo."

Cosmo backed up and held out his defunct wand. For the first time in a long time, he tried contacting Wanda via telepathy. It crackled in his mind, like a bad radio signal, and sweat trickled down his back. Again and again he sought out the connection they shared, the one only they shared and it crackled and died repeatedly. His lower lip trembled. He really was alone.

"Mama, what's going on?" he asked. "Why did you give me this?"

"To keep you with me," she replied. At last, she appeared, although there was something off about her appearance. She shimmered occasionally, sending off dark sparks. Cosmo bit down so hard he tasted blood. His mother didn't normally throw off sparks. And there was something slightly creepy about her, but he couldn't place it.

"But I wanna be with Wanda!" he said.

"Are you sure about that?" she whispered. She held up her wand, with the same weird dark sparks, and played back image after image. Wanda berating him, Wanda calling him a 'moron', Wanda acting like she ruled the roost, Wanda flirting with Juandissimo and other men and outright ignoring him…

"She doesn't want to be with you."

Cosmo's lower lip trembled and tears welled. ((WANDA!))

Again, the crackles started and died, but this time, there was a response. It was drowned out in static.

((…Cosmo…?))

"If she loved you, she would come when you called," his mother said. "If she loved you, she'd appreciate you. And she would let you be with me."

Cosmo wavered. While he was always susceptible to a strong, persuasive voice, he loved Wanda. He had spent almost his entire life with her. It was hard to grasp that she suddenly didn't want him and normally, with things Cosmo had a problem grasping, he gave up. After all, it didn't match what he knew about Wanda and it hurt his brain to conceive. Therefore, it had to be wrong.

Cosmo shut his eyes and then Wanda was there, beside him. Relieved, he flung his arms around her and she shoved him away.

"Why would I want _you_?" Wanda said. Her aura was tainted black with silver sparks. "I have better things to do than be saddled with an idiot."

"But you love me!" he said. "You'll always love me!"

Tears slid down his cheeks.

"Stop blubbering," she snapped. "You look disgusting."

The bust glowed in his arms and he looked at Wanda and then at his mother. They twisted strangely, like will o wisps, and returned to normal. Startled, he stared at the bust and then at them. Wary, he retreated again. Wanda didn't normally snap when he was crying and she definitely didn't have a dark aura. His heart pounded frantically.

"It's not me!" he cried. "It's the bust! I didn't mean to say those things! But they made Timmy laugh and-"

"I don't care," Wanda said harshly. "I'm done. I'm leaving you."

"What?" he choked. "Wanda? You can't! You're joking, right? You'd never leave me. You love me! I know you love me!"

"I never loved you," she hissed. "I just settled for you."

"No!" he cried. "You love me! You love me! Tell me you love me!"

"I. Hate. You," she whispered. "I hate you, Cosmo Cosma."

His breath caught and he threw herself at her. He felt like he'd ben electrocuted. Howling, he released her and she laughed. He had never heard her laugh like that, so maliciously, and directed at him. It went on for an eternity; she would start and then stop, glancing at him before continuing. The laughter cut through him like a knife. It hurt his ears and his eyes to behold and yet, he couldn't look away.

Tears coursed down his cheeks and he held out his arms, entreating her to change her mind. Her reaction was to laugh harder.

"I don't love you," she said. Her words lacerated the wounds her laughter had opened. "Marrying you was a mistake."

The bust dropped and shattered. Teal colored magic wrapped around him and for a second, he couldn't breathe. He almost cried out for Wanda, and then he remembered. It couldn't possibly be right, but it was too painful to refute. Great, shuddering sobs wracked him and he curled into a ball.

"Mama, I'm so alone!"

((Wanda! Wanda, answer me!))

Wanda vanished into thin air, her mocking laughter preceding her.

"Let Mama comfort you," his mother said and hugged him. Cosmo sobbed hysterically, barely able to breathe, and came perilously close to hyperventilating. It took his mother giving him an oxygen tank before he got his breathing under control and even then, it took another ten minutes for him to be able to speak.

"I told you she was no good," she said. "I warned you. Open yourself up to the darkness, Cosmo-lolo."

Perplexed, he looked at her. "What?"

"Come to your mother. I will make everything right," she said. She held him tightly. "Stay with me. Forever."

"I…" What choice did he have? Wanda didn't want him. There was nowhere else for him to turn. "Okay."

A sound reverberated, like a thunderclap, and it felt like his mind was being torn apart. He tasted tears and snot in the back of his throat and clutched his wand like a floatation device in a storm. Never before had turning to his mother been quite so frightening.

"Do you repudiate your Bond to Wanda?" his mother said. Her voice had changed. All of a sudden, it was deep and sonorous. It sent chills down his spine.

"If she doesn't…if she doesn't…want me…" Cosmo whimpered.

"She doesn't."

"Then-" Cosmo licked his dry lips and trembled. "I…I- what you said!"

"You have to repeat it," his mother said, rolling her eyes. Her image was more distorted now, comprised mostly of black specks with a few flickers of color.

"I repudiate my Bond to Wanda!" Cosmo said and the thunderclap moved from outside to inside his mind. Lights flashed and he collapsed onto the floor. He was drained from head to toe. He felt deflated like a balloon and he barely had enough energy to turn his head to view his reflection in a shallow pool of water.

His hair and eyes had gone entirely black and his pupils were gone.

"Mama?" he said cautiously.

"You foolish faerie," his mother said and reappeared, changing from her former shape to dark blob of flashing red energy. "I was never your mother and Wanda was never here."

"But, then…" his lower lip trembled. "Who are you? Where are Wanda and Mama?"

"I 'borrowed' your mother for a while," the demon replied. "I'm sure she didn't mind. As for Wanda, I took her likeliness from your memories and your former Bond. I'm sure you won't miss that."

"But…I…" he didn't know what to say and the demon laughed.

"And now, foolish faerie, you are mine," the demon said and launched itself at him.

* * *

Wanda had been in the middle of pursuing Cosmo when it felt like someone had slammed her into a brick wall. Through static, she heard Cosmo call her.

((…Cosmo…?)) she replied, but she sensed he hadn't gotten it. The shakes took over and she had to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk in Fairy World. Other faeries gave her a wide berth, probably because of Jorgen's recent debriefing. Their lightness and happiness put her teeth on edge. It was all she could do not to snap at them.

It took several minutes for her to get her bearings. In order to center herself, she reminded herself she was in Fairy World, which was almost untouchable and nearly impenetrable to humans. She was surrounded by her own kind who might mutter about her, but wouldn't attack her. Until she recovered herself, she'd be all right. The worst that could happen would be if Juandissimo popped up and offered him her 'services'. She inhaled, exhaled, and counted her breaths until she was under control again.

Getting to her feet, she figured out where, in all likelihood, he had gone. She held up her wand and reappeared at Mama Cosma's house. The front door was wide open.

"Hello?" she called. "Is anyone here?"

The inside looked deserted and she went through each room. Cosmo and his mother didn't answer her summons. Although nothing looked touched, the house had an abandoned air and left her feeling melancholy. The feeling persisted throughout the entire place, until she stopped in Mama Cosma's bedroom.

Sitting on Mama Cosma's bed stand was a duplicate sculpture with flashing red eyes. Her hands shook as she reached out for it.

"Wanda?"

She jumped back and looked on the floor. There, looking like death warmed over, was Mama Cosma. With an effort, the older woman pushed herself up onto her bed and clutched her wand. The feeling of foreboding was back.

Her skin was the color of sour milk and her whole body looked wilted, shrunken in on itself. Wanda didn't know how it was possible to appear and still malnourished, but Mama Cosma had managed it. Her hands and feet were claws, but her face retained a sickly bulbous quality. Her nightgown was drenched in sweat.

"You, you haven't seen Cosmo, have you?" she said. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"I thought…" she seemed to be having problems forming sentences. "I thought…he was…with you."

Every breath was labored and Wanda bit her lip.

"What is going on with _this_?" Wanda said, pointing her wand at the effigy. "Why does Cosmo have one?"

"Didn't mean to…demon came in…" She passed out and Wanda groaned. While she was tempted to smash the bust out of spite, she didn't. Instead, she contemplated it. Aside from different jewels, it was identical to the one in their storage room. Cautiously, she held out her hands again and energy flashed and died. In a few seconds, it seemed dormant, the eyes no longer emitting any signs of life.

"Demon?" she repeated. Holding up her wand, she used it to scan the bust. However, ever since her taint, using magic with her wand was getting harder and harder. She settled for turning Mama Cosma's likeness in her hands. There was a magic within that repulsed her. It felt like something had sunk its teeth into her private most self and she yelped, tossing back the carving and letting it land on its stand.

"What did you do?" she demanded, aware the woman couldn't answer her.

((Wanda! Wanda, answer me!))

She tried, but she felt someone blocking her. Shaking, she contemplated the bust and Mama Cosma, who was down for the count. She waved her wand in front of her face and the older woman didn't react. Briefly, she considered something more violent, but tossed it aside. She tasted copper in the back of her mouth.

_Cosmo! _But it was a thought, not thought speech. Her heart pounded and she glared at the bust, as if it had caused all of this. _Cosmo_!

Still not thought speech. She didn't remember the last time she had failed to send a message to Cosmo via telepathy. Of course, after their marriage difficulties, she hadn't wanted him to have access to her mind and be able to touch her private thoughts. Before then, anything was fair game and there were no secrets.

_Cosmo_! It was no use. Nothing would send.

Swallowing back panic, she held up her wand to instantly transport herself to Cosmo's location. Nothing happened. She concentrated on another location, Big Daddy's company. There she went instantly. Someone was keeping her away from Cosmo.

That was another problem. No one had ever cut her off from her significant other and, if they had, it was only temporary. She could always find Cosmo when she needed him and could always talk to him when she wanted to. Feeling stricken, she returned to Mama Cosma's place to assess her options. She had to figure out where Cosmo had gone and fast.

Unfortunately, without being able to pinpoint it, her wand was no use. She was starting to feel rather discouraged.

A thunderclap, or its equivalent, went off in her head. She couldn't even think to form the thought speech to communicate with Cosmo. A force struck her down onto the bed and she yelped, squeezing her wand. Lights flashed and she was temporarily blinded.

"_I repudiate my Bond to Wanda!"_

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she couldn't stop shaking. She tasted a coppery, metallic liquid she identified as her blood from biting the inside of her cheek. Struggling back to a sitting position, she hugged her knees to her chest.

"Cosmo?" she whispered and then, frantic now, "COSMO!"

Holding up her wand, she brought herself back to the person she thought would listen, even if he was usually too selfish to care.

"Timmy!" she cried, popping up in front of him. He looked annoyed for a second and then flung away his comic book.

"Wanda? What the heck happened to you? And where's Cosmo?"

It took several minutes for her to be able to tell him as hysterical as she was. Normally, Wanda didn't let herself get this worked up. After several bowls of chocolate and some hugs, she finally told him what had happened and what she suspected had happened.

"But that doesn't explain one thing," he said and held out a mirror.

Her hair was now threaded with pink and white and her eye color had changed to completely white. Touching her hair, she bit the inside of her lip again. Was the taint gone? Or did it mean something entirely different now that Cosmo had repudiated their Bond?

"What do we do now?" he asked.

Her lips trembled and her voice was not quite steady as she said, "Find Cosmo."

* * *

Tootie was sitting watching a movie with Cosmo and Wanda when they both suddenly shuddered and exchanged glances. Vicky wasn't due to return until tomorrow, before her parents came back, and she was enjoying the lack of parental supervision. Cosmo and Wanda never ordered her around; they were like friends who granted wishes. Better than that, they were companions when she was so lonely.

"Guys?" she said.

"Weird…" Wanda said. Her godparents were pale and they nestled, as cats, close to her. Tootie stroked them on the head and they hissed, not at her, but at some ephemeral shape she half saw.

"Guys?" she repeated.

"I don't know," Cosmo whimpered. He closed his eyes and nuzzled Wanda. They drew away from Tootie and curled around each other tightly, with limbs intertwined. Startled, she looked around to discover the source of their anxiety. Aside from her and an animated movie, she saw nothing.

Wanda gulped and Cosmo yelped, rubbing his head against hers hard enough to produce a 'crack'. Neither faerie noticed. They shifted back to their normal form and held each other tightly enough to whiten their knuckles.

"I wish you'd tell me what was going on!" Tootie exclaimed.

"A demon corrupted the other Cosmo's Bond with his Wanda and then destroyed it," Wanda said faintly. Her arms had to be cutting off Cosmo's circulation, but he wasn't complaining.

"A what?" Tootie said. "You're not making any sense. What demon?"

Wanda shook her head and conjured up a small shot glass. She drank it down, presumably to calm her nerves. Tootie's eyes widened. Her godparents had never referred to alcohol, not even in passing. Then again, they had never looked so spooked.

"Then I wish the Bond was back!" she said, chest tightening in reaction.

"Bonds can't be wished back…" Cosmo whispered. He and Wanda exchanged horrified glances.

"This has to do with Timmy's version of you, right?" Tootie said. Several minutes passed before one of them responded.

"Yes," Wanda said. The blood slowly returned to her face and they collapsed, hugging each other, onto the couch. Tootie stopped the movie; it was obvious they weren't going back to it tonight.

"It didn't do anything to you, did it?" she said. They looked like they'd been told they could never go home and were being sold into bondage.

"We heard the echoes," Wanda said. She touched her hair in unison with Cosmo and they conjured up a mirror. Through it, Tootie saw the other Cosmo and Wanda, whose appearances had been altered. The other Wanda was shaking Timmy and almost beyond comprehension. Tootie felt a stab of sympathy for him and another for the alternate versions of Cosmo and Wanda.

"Did I do this?" she said.

"What?" Wanda said, blindsided by the question.

"By keeping you guys, I let the paradox start and this happened," she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but no," Wanda said. "This isn't your fault."

"Yeah, something this bad is usually ours," Cosmo said and they winced.

Tootie jumped to her feet. "But if I let this happen, then Timmy's versions of you will suffer. I have to let everything be reversed. But I don't want to let go of you."

"Sweetie, we don't remember being Timmy's godparents," Wanda said.

"As usual, I have no idea what anyone's talking about," Cosmo said cheerfully. Despite his demeanor, his face was still pale and his hands shook.

"Then I'm the only one who remembers," she said. She balled her fists and thought of the adage, 'if you love something, set it free.' However, she wasn't ready to free them just yet. There had to be something else she could do.

"I have to talk to Timmy again," she said.

"Can we stay here?" Cosmo said and they gulped in unison. "I don't feel so well."

"Of course," she said. "Do you guys want anything? Blankets? Antacids?"

"More whiskey," Wanda muttered and Tootie smirked.

"You shouldn't drink on the job," she reprimanded. Her heart clenched.

Wanda didn't answer. For a second, she stared blankly ahead and Cosmo's fingers dug into her arms. They looked like wax dolls.

"_I repudiate my Bond to Wanda_," they said in unison. Tootie didn't know what it meant, but it must have been serious, since they exchanged a look and shivered again.

* * *

Doombringer had forced Juandissimo to tell her everything he knew about the temporal rift. After he finished, she frowned and tapped her foot impatiently. She was tempted to rage and destroy everything in sight, but that would accomplish nothing. From three potential children, she only had one browbeaten, extremely whiny rich boy. Her half-breeds were gone. Juandissimo was the sole tainted faerie in her possession, but he had informed her Cosmo and Wanda carried the dark magic too. Unfortunately, they might as well be on the moon for the help that offered her.

She sat at her desk facing a white wall and thought. There had to be a way to salvage this situation. She wouldn't be able to abduct Timmy and Tootie again, but was there a way to recapture at least one of the corrupted faerie?

"Juandissimo!" she snapped. He appeared and she smirked. True names had such power. He hadn't given her his real name willingly.

"Yes?" he said, inclining his head. It might have been her imagination, but he seemed less servile than before. There was a defiant gleam in his eyes.

"Capture Cosmo," she said and then paused before adding, "again."

He winced. "There has been a complication."

"There have been an awful lot of complications lately," she said in a saccharine sweet voice. "What is it now?"

"I can not say exactly," he said. "Only that its power sent reverberations across all faeries."

"Will this prevent you from capturing him?" she said, longing to wring his neck.

"I am not sure," he answered slowly.

"Then do it!" she snapped. He bowed slightly and disappeared. Huffing, she glared at the wall. It was inconvenient to have them as her servants. There had to be a way to link into the power herself. Who did she have to kill around here to get some magic?

Rising from her chair, she vacated the abandoned warehouse. Maybe she could wring something out of Crocker. His obsession with faeries might mean he had possessed them at one time. If not, at least it'd improve her temper to throttle someone.


End file.
